Hidden
by kelpie169
Summary: Clary's always known about the Shadow world-but they have no idea she exists. Worlds collide when she finds herself entangled with the young Shadowhunters of New York.
1. The Marks

**Okay so. Here's the deal. I'm posting this purely to gauge interest. I've recently gotten back into The Mortal Instruments and remembered how much I absolutely LOVED Clary Jace. So...this fic popped into my head. But I'm not at all confident in how it's written or anything. I've only read through book 3 (which was years ago) so anything after that I've gotten from Wiki or fanfics. This is majorly AU and isn't beta'd yet because I'm not sure if I'm going to continue. Also cause my beta has never read or knows anything about this so I decided not to bother her unless y'all liked it. So, let me know if this is something you want to continue. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. It's all CC's**

"I'll have 2 screaming orgasms please."

Clary rolled her eyes at the inebriated frat boy before spinning around to make his drinks. His bleary eyes traveled up and down her body, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling as she poured the liquor.

"What time do you get off, sweet thang?"

With a sigh, Clary slammed the shots down on the bar. "Not soon enough. And there's not enough alcohol on the planet to make you a desirable prospect. That'll be $13."

"Aww, come on baby. Don't be like that. Such a sweet thing like y-"

The boy jumped back, startled as a knife dug into the bar directly between where two of his fingers had just been. Clary leaned over the bar, her teeth nearly bared as she growled out a warning. "Next time I won't miss. That will be $13. Please."

He stumbled backwards, yanking some bills out of his pocket and tossing them towards her, tripping backwards into the crowd pulsing on the dance floor. Clary snorted as she snatched the money, noting with a smirk that she could safely pocket $17. She glanced to the side, her eyes seeking out her boss. But Magnus was nowhere to be found and she shrugged as she threw the two shots back, shaking her head quickly as the alcohol burned down her throat.

Unconcerned with the mundanes crowding the space in front of the bar, she yanked her dagger out of the wood, slipping it carefully back into the holster strapped to her thigh. She ran a finger over the rune etched into the pommel assuring herself of it's invisibility before spinning around to continue serving drinks.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing wit-"

"Save it shit head. What do you want?"

Clary's emerald green eyes met gold ones as she snapped, narrowing as she took in his appearance. Golden hair fanned around his face, artfully tousled and clearly unintentionally styled. He looked like the sun incarnate, his black clothes giving him the appearance of being draped in vestiges of the night itself.

He was flanked by a pair of siblings, though how Clary knew they were related she wasn't sure-just a gut feeling. She raised her eyebrow expectantly, waiting for the boy to order, tapping her toe on the dirty floor beneath her, arms crossed over her less than bountiful chest.

"What I want is for you to call Magnus Bane and tell him Jace Wayland is here to see him."

Her eyes shot wide, her breath hitching in her throat as she gulped dryly. Jace Wayland?! Which would make his buddies the Lightwood siblings. Clary stepped back slightly, her hand groping for the phone behind her. "Yeah. Sure. I'll tell him you're here. Excuse me."

Jace's eyes narrowed as he watched the bartender's confident demeanor vanish. She stumbled slightly as she nearly darted away, disappearing through the nearly invisible door to the side of the bar marked "Employees Only", panic in her eyes as she held the phone to her ear.

"There's something odd about her. Did your sensor pick up anything?"

Alec leaned forward, pulling the small device out of his in pocket. He glared down at the sensor, shaking it slightly before putting it to his ear. "No. Demon?"

"No. She seemed...scared of us. But demons can't see through the glamour so she can't be one."

"She scared off a boy a moment ago, though I'm not sure how. He just jumped back, white as a ghost as she leaned forward whispering. Maybe he's an ex boyfriend or something." Isabelle shrugged, turning to face the club's dance floor.

"Shit! Guys we've got problems!"

Jace and Alec spun, their seraph blades in their hands, crouched and ready to spring at the whatever threat Isabelle had found. Gold and azure eyes scanned the dim interior, immediately lighting on a trio of demons dressed as goth youths striding quickly toward the back exit.

With a smirk, Jace moved to follow as Alec and Isabelle groaned behind him.

They broke through the door to the alley, eyes widening as they caught sight of the scene in front of them.

The bartender was against the wall, her tiny feet dangling over a foot off the ground as one of the demons held her by the throat. Another demon licked his lips as he raked his nails down her arm, licking the blood that welled to the surface of her porcelain skin. And the trio gasped as they saw the black runes erupt all over her body.

"Shouldn't have done that." She smiled, a grin laced with malice as her foot kicked out at the one holding her, catching him in the side. He grunted as he dropped her, the other two snarling as they left their comrade writhing in pain on the dirty ground.

The girl crouched, her red hair flashing in the meager light from the alley as the demons darted toward her. Jace jolted forward, but Alec yanked at his jacket, tugging him back to the shadows.

"Wait! Just watch first."

Jace spun, facing his parabatai angrily. "She's a child, Alec! A mundane child! We can't just-" He stopped as Isabelle's hand patted frantically at his shoulder.

"Jace-she's not a mundane. Look at the runes. I've never seen some of them! And I DON'T think she needs our help..."

He spun around again, his eyes scanning the alley, widening as they took in the action a few yards away.

Clary had already dispatched one demon, its corporeal form still writhing in agony on the asphalt, smoking where her dagger had sliced into its chest.

"What are you?" The demon to her left hissed, it's blue spikey hair falling into its eyes as it stared her down. She twisted her head to the right, her eyes tracking the movement of the demon in female form.

"I dont care what she is. She looks delicious!"

Both demons sprung forward and Clary just smiled. As the female fell on her, she yanked the small blade out of her bra, her fist surging upward into its chest. A strangled cry erupted from its mouth as it collapsed in on itself, ichor spraying over Clary as she popped to her feet.

The last demon, it's eyes startled and wide, took a slow, deliberate step forward. A ragged gash opened across its cheek, the smile splitting across its face distorting horrifically.

"Come on. You know you wanna!" Clary taunted as she clenched her teeth. The runes on her skin could only protect her so much and already the demonic ichor was seeping through her magical protection, burning her bare skin and singeing her clothes. Thankfully her boots remained unscathed and she rocked on her feet, forcing her adrenaline to keep racing.

"SHIT! CLARY!"

She spun around at the sound of Magnus' voice, her emerald eyes catching his own. Then his startling cat-like eyes widened in horror.

Burning, sharp hot agony roiled through her body, radiating from her shoulder. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she tipped forward, the demon following her movement as it's teeth burrowed deeper into her flesh.

Abruptly, the pressure of the bite vanished though the pain still coursed through her. A sharp yell sounded behind her and she felt strong arms envelope her as she sagged.

"Magnus! What the fuck!" The girl who spoke sounded nearly frantic. "Who the fuck is she? Why does she have the marks?"

Clary's eyelids felt like lead, refusing to open as she gasped in a shuddering breath.

"Isabelle, shut up!" An eerily familiar voice barked from directly above her. She cracked her eyes open, green meeting gold once again. "Just hang on, Clary. We'll get you back to the Institute and-"

She shot forward, retching as she tried to brace herself upright. She failed miserably, her cheek connecting heavily with the dirty ground of the alley. She lay flat, tremors wracking her body as she felt an icy wetness seep into the leg of her jeans. Her ragged breathing sucked in dirt and grime, choking her as she tried to cough.

"No! No-Luke...Magnus-get...Luke..."

With no strength left, Clary let her eyes drift shut. And as her consciousness drifted away, the last thing that filled her mind was the golden stare of the beautiful boy kneeling next to her.

**sooooooooooo...(and I seriously hate begging for reviews or comments) but should it continue?/span/strong/p**


	2. Riddles

**So, I guess y'all like this. :) Anyhoo-theres no set schedule for updating. It's really just when I've got time. I am however on a role with this one so they may be fairly frequent. But don't hold me to that. Also, my beta has absolutely no idea about anything TMI so I told her not to worry. I do have my husband reading it (hah hah, right?) so he's editing a bit. Otherwise it's all me and my mistakes. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. I'm just playing.**

**x . x . x . x . x**

"Magnus, who is she? And why is she working at Pandemonium?"

Clary scoffed internally, wanting to scream at whoever had woken her. Her head pounded in time to the thumping bass from the club underneath them and her stomach tried to revolt, though there was nothing in there to throw up. She felt a cool breeze and smelled incense as Magnus drew near. Her left hand lifted into his, the numerous rings he always wore pressing into her fingers lightly. She also noticed the solid weight in her other hand, fingers gently twined with hers.

"Her name is Clary. Clary Fray."

"Yes, we gathered her name after you screamed it. But who IS she?"

A snort to her right seemed to come from the vicinity of her mysterious hand holder. "Isn't it obvious Alec? She's a Shadowhunter as well. Though I didn't know they trained them so young."

A disgruntled noise escaped her throat as Clary fought to open her eyes. Her dry tongue stuck in her mouth as she shifted and wiggled on whatever soft surface she'd been placed on-probably the ridiculously ostentatious sofa Magnus has special ordered a month ago. A straw forced it's way through her lips and she settled, drinking gratefully as the strength from whatever potion Magnus gave her seeped into her.

"I am not young!"

Her eyes fluttered, immediately closing again as the bright lights above her nearly scalded her retinas. "Magnus! Seriously? Dim the fucking lights, asshole!"

"Aaaaaand she's back. Wonderful."

Clary struggled to sit up, startled when she felt a hand behind her, pushing her up. Her head twisted as her eyes cracked open, taking in the golden form of the boy behind her. Jace. Jace Wayland.

Her eyes shot open as her memories flooded in and she jumped to her feet, immediately wobbling. She would have fallen if not for Jace, who scooped her up with a sarcastic purse of his lips.

"Maybe take it a bit slower, hum?"

"No! Magnus! What-I mean...by the Angel, put me down!" She struggled, pushing at Jace's chest as she tried to roll out of his arms.

He grinned sarcastically, flopping back into the plush armchair he'd abandoned a moment ago. "Uh, no. I like the feel of you."

The girl with the black hair-Isabelle, if her memory was correct-reached a hand out, smacking Jace in the head.

"Izzy. He can't help being a ridiculous manwhore. Leave him be. She can obviously take care of herself." Alec. That was the other Lightwood. Who was currently shooting death glares at Clary-probably wishing the demon had just finished the job for him.

"Jace, let her go. Oh, this is bad. This is very very bad. Luke and Jocelyn are going to kill me." Magnus ran a hand down his face, absently rubbing the glitter off.

Jace looked to the warlock, letting his arms go lax as Clary nearly fell off his lap. "So….would either of you care to explain this? Because I'm a tad confused."

Huffing as she sat, Clary hung her head between her knees, her shoulder still throbbing as she rotated it gently. "How bad was the bite?"

"What?" Alec's voice asked, laced with disgust.

"What is your issue, asshole? Is douchebaggery like a hobby of yours?! I just wanna know how bad the damn demon bite was. Is that too much to fucking ask? By the Angel just get the fuck out." Her head whipped up as she fixed her eyes on Magnus. "Luke is coming, right?"

She groaned as Magnus pulled a face. "Well….not-exactly."

"Who is Luke?" Isabelle pursed her lips, hands on her hips as her booted toe tapped in irritation.

"Why isn't he coming Mags?"

"I-can't call him. He's...well-Jesus Clary, they're Shadowhunters. What the hell do you think will happen when he gets here?!"

Jace's eyes bounced from the girl to the warlock and back again. "Okay. Enough."

Those two words, laced with authority, made Clary pause, her emerald eyes swinging back towards him.

"Why are you even here? This has nothing to do with you." Her hair fell in her face, obscuring her features as Jace stared. He saw the pale grey pallor and the heavy dark circles under those spectacular eyes. And he knew she wasn't as strong as she was trying to appear.

"Alright, so if you won't come to the Institute, what do we do next?"

"JACE! You can't be serious!" Alec's head had whipped around, his black hair falling into his eyes once again. "You're going to stay with this-this…"

Alec broke into a wave of Chthonic cursing as he paced, waving his hands around rapidly as Isabelle jumped out of his way.

Clary raised her eyebrows sardonically, a small grin pulling the corner of her mouth up. "Oh really? Is that what I am now?"

Alec paused and turned, his face pale as ash. "You-understood that?"

Jace and Isabelle's eyes ping ponged between the two. Clary straightened her back and stood, her head swimming-but she refused to appear weak. She stalked over to the Lightwood boy, her nose nearly touching his as she stood on very tip toes, eyes narrowed in anger. "I understand much more than the average Shadowhunter. I know every demon language the Nephilim have decoded. I know more weapons tactics than you could dream. And I know our history better than you could ever imagine. So-I'll tell you again-get the fuck out. I don't need your help. And I'm sure you of all people don't want mine."

Alec backed up a step, then another, a cold lick of fear slithering up his spine as his hand groped for Isabelle's arm. He tugged her towards him, his azure eyes never leaving Clary's green ones.

"And your golden boy over there. He's another one that I'm more than positive would rather peel the skin off his bones than accept any help from me."

"Clar-"

"NOT now Magnus. Just-not fucking now." Clary sagged, stumbling as she reached out toward the wall. The warlock glanced up from where he sat on the plush ottoman.

"If they're leaving I'll call Luke. And sit the fuck down Clary. You're still weak." Her eyes shot daggers as Magnus stood, retreating from the room like his ass was on fire.

"I AM NOT WEAK! Fuck you magic man!" Her head swung back around, taking in the trio of Shadowhunters who still had yet to move. "Seriously? You're still here? Why-"

Jace shot to his feet as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her knees sagging out from under her. His arms wrapped solidly around her slender waist and he hauled her up into his arms once again.

"Alec. We can't just leave. Something is very wrong here. Why haven't we ever met her?"

"Obviously because she's unstable. She's probably a rogue." Alec pulled Isabelle away as Jace came closer, as if fearing the girl's rebelliousness would rub off.

"There's more to this. There has to be. Rogue's don't have this much power. She-"

A violent crash against the closed door had Alec and Isabelle pulling their blades while Jace retreated across the room, shielding Clary's body with his own. Dust rained from the plaster around the doorframe as the banging continued, the door beginning to bow inward from the force.

"CLARY! MAGNUS OPEN THE GODDAMNED DOOR!"

Magnus stalked back through the room, muttering under his breath as he shoved Alec aside to pull the heavy door open. "When I said wait five minutes to go through the portal that didn't mean jump immediately, asshole." The door suddenly crashed inward as he spoke and Magnus stumbled out of the way. "Luke wait-"

A disheveled man with dark hair and glasses slipping down his nose barged into the room, his manic eyes sweeping the interior quickly. His hands were clawed and his eyes shifted from his normal rusty blue to a gleaming gold as he snarled.

"A werewolf?! You called a werewolf?!" Isabelle's voice pitched higher as she spoke, her blade still held in front of her.

"He's-"

"Clary!" He rushed toward Jace, who darted backward, his back colliding with the wall before he turned to shield the girl in his arms.

"What could you possibly want with a Shadowhunter, werewolf?"

"Get your filthy hands off of her, boy! She's my daughter!"

Jace's eyes flew wide as his hands went lax, Clary slipping from his grip momentarily before he tightened his arms again.

"It's not possible." Jace's eyes narrowed as he looked from the werewolf to the girl in his arms. "There is no resemblance. And werewolves don't produce Nephilim children. So try again."

"It's-fuuuuuuuuck." Luke held his arms out, trying to take the girl from Jace. He received a growl for his efforts and a well placed headbutt square between his eyes.

Luke growled, his eyes flashing once again as his hand swept up to wipe the trickle of blood running down his forehead. He stepped closer, ready to tear the Shadowhunter apart and Jace braced himself, unafraid in the face of conflict.

"Alright, let's just calm down here. I just redid the decor." Magnus stepped between the two with a roll of his eyes, a hand on each of their chests. "This is getting us nowhere."

Turning fully toward Luke, the warlock placed both hands gently onto the man's shoulders. "You knew it wouldn't last forever. You knew it was more likely than not the second you moved here. Jocelyn knew it too." Luke sighed, grabbing onto Magnus' hands as he hung his head. "It's time Luke."

The man retreated a few steps before collapsing onto the couch behind him. His hands brushed down his face as he sighed again, looking ages older than when he'd entered the room.

"You may as well sit down. This is going to be a long story."

Alec and Isabelle remained standing, though they crowded in toward the group, their hands never leaving their blades. Jace gently seated himself in the chair he'd been in before, Clary still cuddled into his chest. He gazed down at her, tracing her dainty features with his eyes as he waited for someone to speak.

When the silence persisted, he raised his golden eyes to find everyone staring at him. A resigned frown graced the face of the werewolf and he squeezed his eyes shut painfully.

"How much do you know about the Uprising?"

Magnus sat beside him, patting his shoulder gently as the Shadowhunters glanced at each other.

"Valentine rebelled against the Clave and the Accords with a small band of followers called the Circle. After their rebellion failed, Valentine and his son died in a fire. The members of the Circle were rounded up and punished in various ways before the Accords were eventually signed."

Alec nodded as his sister spoke. "That's why Hodge can't leave the Institute here in New York. It's his punishment."

"Is that seriously what they taught you?" Luke's nose wrinkled as his eyes met Magnus' again.

"I told you this would happen." Arms across his chest, Magnus leaned back casually, his foot coming to rest on his knee.

"What would happen? You're talking in riddles! This is insane!" Alec threw his hands in the air, turning to tug Isabelle toward the door once again.

"Valentine didn't die." The siblings froze, backs going ramrod straight as Luke spoke. "And that right there-" His chin angled towards where Clary slept in Jace's arms. "-is his daughter."


	3. I Think I Found my Soulmate

**Alrighty, so here's chapter 3! I just wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed )especially you reviewers!) and say sorry that I didn't get back to some of you. I'm seriously horrible at it, but I do appreciate it immensely. I'm still super unsure about writing in this fandom, so hopefully the characters aren't TOOOOO OOC for you, although I know they are-but not too much. Hopefully. Oh and it's still my husband being my "beta" (I still laugh every single time he reads a chapter cause he makes the FUNNIEST comments) so any mistakes are probably mine. :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. But I do make some mean waffles so...yeah.**

Clary jerked into consciousness as her stomach heaved and her body trembled. Pain wracked her body, her meager vision going white again as her muscles heaved and contracted.

"What's wrong with her?!"

Who's voice was that? It sounded...panicked? But no one panicked about her. Clary's brain couldn't process the sounds through the haze of pain clouding her mind.

"The demon must've been a Nix. She's allergic to the venom." She could hear the exasperation in Magnus' voice. "I'm gonna have to bleed her. Just keep her still-I don't wanna hit an artery or something."

She felt hands at her shoulders, pinning her down and she began thrashing in panic.

"No! No! Let-let go!"

"CLARY! Hold still! Magnus has to drain the venom! Why didn't you tell me before I drew the iratze?!"

Magnus' voice came closer and she almost grinned at the irritation as he spoke. "Well, you'd already drawn it by the time we got up here, so don't go blaming me for all your Shadowhunter ways. Hold still Clare-bear. This is gonna hurt."

A sharp slice made her groan and the pressure that followed made a sharp cry tear it's way out of her throat.

The agony went on forever-days, weeks, years, centuries...she couldn't tell. And it was with blissful relief that she sunk into darkness again.

x . x . x . x . x

Jace sat on the sofa, his lips pursed, his hand cupping his chin as Alec paced in front of him.

"Dude! What the hell was that?!"

"What the hell was what? We killed it didn't we?"

Alec glared at his parabatai, his hands on his hips. Isabelle swished her way into the room, 3 bottles of water in her arms.

"Alec, chill. We're all fine." She scolded as she handed a bottle to him. She tossed one to Jace who winced as his arm came up to grab it.

Alec sighed, dropping onto an ottoman perched beside the sofa as Isabelle sat daintily on the sofa beside Jace.

"JACE! What were you thinking?!" Maryse shrieked as she burst into the room, her heels clicking rapidly on the stone floor of the library.

He groaned, sliding down further into the push cushions. "I'm fiiiiiiiiiiiine…"

Maryse stopped in front of him, hands on her hips are she glared down at him. The entire left side of his face was still a huge bruise and he moved disjointedly as he tried to stand to reassure her. She scoffed when he groaned in pain once again.

"Obviously not. What's gotten into you?"

Jace sighed, his feet dragging as he moved around his adopted family. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

The Lightwoods just stared after him as he retreated to his room, their stares burning holes in his back.

Jace flopped down on his bed, his arm laying across his eyes, blocking out the dim light seeping in from the open bathroom door.

It had been three weeks since that night. Since they'd met _her._ **Clary.**

The tiny girl with the most remarkable way of sticking in his head. There was nothing special about her. She was a good fighter-but Isabelle was too. She wasn't gorgeous, just cute in a pixie-ish sort of way. And her attitude left quite a bit to be desired.

But he couldn't stop thinking about her. Or the fact that as soon as he'd touched her, a rune he'd never seen had erupted onto his skin.

x . x . x . x . x

Luke glanced up at the sound of feet padding down the hallway. His glasses slid down his nose as the newspaper twitched in his hand, a slight chuckle making it's way out of his throat.

Clary shuffled into the bright sunlight kitchen, wincing as her hand shot up to shield her eyes.

"Nice of you to finally join me. You've been holed up in your room for weeks." Luke grinned, fighting down the feeling of utter despair as he remembered why she'd been keeping to herself.

"Well, next time I'll ask the demon to kindly bite somewhere a little farther away from my heart. Deal?" She rolled her eyes as she pulled the refrigerator open, surveying her options.

"I'm just-" Luke sighed, standing swiftly and crossing the room to her. "I'm so glad you're alright. I don't know what-what I'd do...ugh."

Clary felt her arms wrap around his waist, conscious of the fact that he was breathing heavily to hold back tears. Wetness welled up in her own eyes as she thought about the events from nearly a month ago.

"I won't be so stupid again. I just got freaked out. I mean, there's only so much you can prepare for, ya know?"

A moment passed and they stood chest to chest, father and daughter despite their lack of biological connection. Luke's hand wound up to cup the back of her head as he breathed yet another sigh and pressed a soft kiss to her fiery hair.

"How about some breakfast? There's-uh...not much here."

Clary grinned as she kicked the refrigerator door shut behind her, pulling herself gently out of her pseudo-father's arms.

"Taki's?"

"Of course. Only the best for my Clare-Bear."

x . x . x . x . x

Magnus stretched his arm across the back of the bench seat, his glitter filled hair sparkling in the early morning sun.

"Does Alec know you're here with me?"

The warlock rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Goldilocks? He threatened me on pain of...well-_withholding_-" His perfectly manicured eyebrows wiggled as his lips pulled into a smirk. "-if I told you anything about our mutual friend with a chip on her shoulder."

Jace leaned back, rubbing his hand down his face and wincing when he hit a sore spot. Kaelie flounced over on her high heels, her breasts practically spilling out of what she was trying to pass off as a shirt.

"What can I get for you today?" Her voice was breathy and high pitched as she leaned over from the waist, her bright red talons-er, fingernails-tapping gently on the formica tabletop.

Magnus choked on air as Jace grimaced, his iridescent suit jacket throwing flashes of light all around the small diner as he guffawed.

"Just a plate of waffles, thanks. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee."

Magnus waved Kaelie away silently and she slunk back to the kitchen to drop off Jace's order, throwing what she probably thought was alluring looks over her shoulder as she went. Jace dropped his forehead to the table, his eyes rolling at her stupidity.

"I hear coffee can make your balls shrink. Or was that Mountain Dew?" Jace's head whipped around, his neck cracking uncomfortably. "Either way you should probably forgo the temptation altogether now, huh?"

The tiny girl dropped into the booth next to him, a small smirk on her face as the werewolf nudged Magnus towards the window.

"What-uh...I mean, what-are you doing here?"

"Eating. Generally it's a biological imperative that us mere mortals need to partake in to survive. And-ya know...it's fun."

A sharp huff brought the table's attention to the scowling blonde balancing a plate of waffles on her upturned hand.

"Here's your waffles, Jace. Let me know if you need _anything _else." She winked and Magnus nudged Luke with a roll of his eyes. Luke snorted into his friend's shoulder, trying to look anywhere but the pathetic harpy in stripper wear.

"Oh, thank you honey!" Clary leaned over, pressing her lips quickly to Jace's cheek. "Ya know when I said order whatever and I'd be happy, I didn't think you'd order my favorite. Awwwwww."

Kaelie scowled as Clary picked up a fork, manhandling the cutlery into slicing a piece off the stack. She popped the bite into her mouth, moaning as the flaky texture hit her tongue. The waitress spun around, stalking back behind the counter with a murderous glare etched onto her dainty features.

Jace stared wide-eyed at Clary while she continued to eat his breakfast.

"You may want to take her fork away. You won't have any left otherwise." Luke advised, pulling a menu towards him as he asked Magnus about some Clave business under his breath.

"Why did you do that?"

"You looked fed up with her. And now she'll leave you alone. You can thank me in waffles cause damn I think I found my soulmate here!"

Jace continued to stare at the enigma of a girl before him. Never before had he felt like this. He was so...confused. And he didn't get confused. Ever. This had to stop.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Jace snarled as he yanked the fork away from her. "Yeah, thanks soooooo much for your help. How do you know I wasn't interested?"

Clary's eyebrows raised sarcastically. "Well, that's your prerogative. I definitely wouldn't do her but to each their own."

Jace choked as a mental image popped into his head-Clary in black leather, a whip in her hands as she stood over a broken down Kaelie. He groaned as he shifted in his seat, subtly trying to shake his mental ramblings out of his brain.

"Clary let's leave them to their breakfast. Come on. You can get your own stack of waffles." Luke smiled, taking her hand gently and pulling her to her feet.

"Not from the bitch in the slut wear, I won't." Magnus choked as he stole a sip of Jace's coffee. "Tell me there's another waitress in this dump."

"Like I'd even serve you, mundie bitch."

Luke grabbed at Clary's jacket, yanking her back as he muttered in her ear. Her green eyes sparked and flashed with rage as Kaelie sauntered by again, tossing a stack of napkins on the table in front of Jace.

"Ya know what? Suddenly I think I've lost my fucking appetite. Coffee and a live sex show just isn't all that appealing to me." Her glare turned toward Jace who flinched back in the booth. "Let's go Luke. I'll see you later, Magnus."

A short sweet peck on the cheek for the warlock followed before Clary nearly dragged her guardian out of the diner.

Jace stared at the girl's retreating form as she sauntered down the street with the werewolf. What was so special about her? He couldn't tear his eyes away.

"I'm-so confused." He hung his head as Magnus snatched his mug of coffee again, though Jace couldn't be bothered to tear his gaze away from Clary's still retreating backside.

"What about, cupcake?"

Jace jumped slightly as another mug of something steaming plonked on the table, spilling it's precious caffeinated goodness as Kaelie sneered his way. He accepted it gratefully, gulping the scalding liquid without a second thought as Magnus grinned.

"The second I saw her-I felt…." His nose wrinkled as he searched for words. "...ugh, I don't even know."

"Oh, honeybun...thing's are so gonna be changing. I sure hope you're all prepared."


	4. The Price You Pay

**Well, as my husband said "Shit is starting to get real!" (Yes, he really did write that as he was editing.) Anyhoo, things are heating up, there's more questions and a little bit starting to be revealed...stay tuned at the bottom for another AN.**

* * *

><p>"You knew this would happen."<p>

Clary shook her head violently. "No. There is no way. Absolutely not. I refuse."

Jocelyn sighed as her hands rested on her slim hips. "Clary, you don't have a choice. You WILL go before the Silent Brothers and they will be questioning you. This is the price you pay for being hidden your whole life."

"I didn't ASK to be hidden! I didn't ask for you to spirit away from my douche of a father and hide me from the world! I didn't ask to be passed off as some dirty secret that you can't stand to be around. So fuck you and your self righteous shit! I re-fucking-fuse."

Luke scoffed from his place in the doorway. "I told you Joc. This was never a good idea."

"Shut up Luke. This was the only way to keep her safe!" Jocelyn's green eyes widened as she spun to face her one time friend. "Valentine would never have left her alone. The only way was for no one to know she existed!"

Clary hid the hurt she felt, burying it down deep in her gut. Her eyes flashed with anger as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Or maybe the Clave could have protected me. I could have been trained with other kids my age. I could have been adopted by another Shadowhunter family. There were tons of options Mother, you were just too scared to look for them. That's why you stuck me with Luke, away from anyone like me. You were afraid of having another-oh how did you put it?-demonic spawn. Jonathan was a baby! And you just-left him. Just left him to die when Valentine faked his death!"

Clary's chest heaved as she fought to control her temper. The rune she'd drawn for relaxation wasn't helping-at all. She rubbed at her chest again, noticing with unease that the rune which had appeared so suddenly a while back pulsed gently, as if it was feeding off her emotions. She still hadn't found the rune in any of Luke's books and she sure as hell wasn't going to ask her mother for any help.

"Clary, it's done." Jocelyn sighed again, her hand raking through her hair. "The Silent Brothers will come to get you if you don't present yourself. It's nothing that you need to be afraid of. They want to accept you into the Clave-into the Shadowhunter way of life. You don't want to be a rogue, do you?"

"I'd rather be a free rogue than to be controlled by some autocratic douchecanoes. I want to stay with Luke. I want to keep my job. I know I'm a great fighter-I get it. Luke trained me well. But that's the thing. He's more of a father to me than you've ever been a mother. I want to stay with my family."

Jocelyn stumbled back, her hand clutching at her throat as Clary spewed her venomous words. Her heart thudded in her chest as she stared at the daughter she didn't know. There was fear in her eyes as she watched Clary take heaving breaths and the she flinched as understated strength coiled in her little girl's limbs.

"You're-you're just like him. You're a monster!"

Luke had heard enough. He reached forward, yanking Jocelyn back towards the door. "Okay. Time for you to go." He shoved her roughly out the door, following her into the hall before slamming the door behind him.

"If you ever approach Clary again I will unleash my pack on you and the Clave. Nothing is more important to me than that girl. Nothing! You may have been a dear friend once upon a time, but Valentine changed you. She's not the monster in this-that honor belongs only to you, darling. Tell the Silent Brothers that I'll talk to her. But if she chooses not to join the Shadowhunters then you leave her out of it. No one will know who she is. She'll be safe either way." Luke glared over the rim of his glasses, his hands clenched into fists as he fought off the change. "Now get the fuck out of my sight."

Jocelyn scampered away tearfully, praying to the Angel for-something. She wasn't quite sure what. But she was absolutely positive that Valentine couldn't get his hands on Clary. If he did-no one would ever be safe.

x . x . x . x . x

"I said fuck off!"

Isabelle's eyes gaped wide as Jace snapped at her. "Okay, I have no idea what crawled up your ass, but chill out! I just meant that we've had a pretty eventful few weeks and that maybe-"

"Isabelle! I'm going out, whether you guys come or not. I have to-I need...ugh!" He groaned, throwing himself back on his bed, wincing as the pommel of one of his seraph blades dug into his back. He rubbed his chest absently as Alec sighed from across the room.

"Jace. Be realistic. You're going to get yourself killed. You're barely able to stand without falling. That demon from two days ago really did a number on you. Just-let's chill for tonight. We can even go out if you want. But not looking for a fight." Alec pleaded, his eyes darting between his sister and his best friend.

Jace sucked in a breath as the rune on his chest pulsed with an angry beat, outstripping his heart with no trouble.

"Fine. But I'm still gonna be armed. No use in courting trouble."

"Duh." Isabelle rolled her eyes as she scampered to her room to change.

"I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat." Alec declared, pulling Jace to his feet.

"Fine. But you're paying." Jace grumbled as he followed his adopted brother out of his bedroom and towards the front door.

x . x . x . x . x

"Luke, go!"

A snarl ripped out of the werewolf's throat as the Croucher growled at Clary's brandished weapons. His fur stood on end as he watched his daughter fight, knowing that he'd only be in her way.

"Dude!" Clary dropped out of her fighting stance, hands on her hips as she glared at her father. "Luke, get out of here. I've got this!"

The wolf rolled its eyes, loping away as the screech of the demon sounded behind him. He turned and saw ichor pouring out of a slice in it's "stomach" as Clary twirled her dagger around in her hand.

As he slunk away, keeping to the shadows so as not to alert the mundanes, he heaved a great sigh. The night air was clearing of the stench of rotten eggs and sulphur the further he got from the fight.

A moment later Clary appeared by his side, not even breathing hard, a huge grin splitting her face. She patted his head, despite the fact that even on all fours he was nearly as tall as her. Luke rolled his eyes again, snorting slightly as he shifted away from her, his bones cracking and elongating as he resumed his human form. He shook, his ears popping slightly as his equilibrium shifted and Clary placed a warm, steadying hand on his arm, lending her considerable strength should he need it.

"Why can't we ever just have a nice night out, huh? Why do they always find me?!" She pouted up at her father, her bottom lip poking out comically. Luke guffawed, bending slightly as he gasped for breath.

"You know perfectly well why. It's just-" His laughter died away suddenly as his nose twitched. The dry, crackly smell invading his nostrils sent his instincts prickling as his head whipped from side to side. Clary fell into a slight crouch as she noticed the tension zipping through Luke's body.

"What?! What is it?"

"I-I'm not...hang on." Luke inhaled again, his brain sifting through memories until he came up the identity of the one bearing that scent. "Clary! RUN!"

She took off, her training kicking in as she skidded around the corner of the brick building beside her. However, she pulled up short as she came face to face with a silent figure draped in a bone colored robe.

Clarissa Morgenstern.

"No! No! I'm not-" Her eyes shot wide as she wheeled around, her Converse slapping wildly against the pavement as she ran.

She darted between mundanes as they went about their lives, unseeing and uncaring as she wove her way in between them silently, only glancing over her shoulder momentarily before spurring herself on even harder. She rounded another corner, sliding to a halt in an alley as she faced another robed figure.

Clarissa Morgenstern.

"That's not my name!" She wheeled around, her heart sinking as she saw two other figures blocking the entrance to the alley. "Let me go!"

Clarissa Morgenstern. You will come with us to the Silent City.

"I will NOT!" She stamped her foot childishly as she glanced around her, trying to determine whether she could fight her way out. That is, until she saw another figure dressed completely in black-carrying an unconscious Luke in his arms. "LUKE! What did you do to him?!"

We did nothing. He provoked us. The downworlder has nothing to fear. He will wake in due time.

"Why-why are you doing this?!" She twisted and turned, the figures slowing advancing towards her, closing ranks. "I'm not-I haven't done anything to you!"

You exist. That is enough.

With a yelp, Clary felt herself pulled backwards into a pair of strong arms before the world around her went black.

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><p><strong>Okay so. I noticed a lot of traffic, well-a good amount of traffic at least-for this story, but hardly any favesfollows/reviews. Do y'all not like it? (I hate sounding so insecure, fwiw). I just am trying to figure out whether it's worth it to continue or if I'm just wasting my time. :) Anyhoo-I'm posting as I write and get it edited, which has been pretty steady lately, but there's no guarentee that'll continue. So just be aware. :) Thanks lovelies!**


	5. Refusal & Rebellion

**And we have our first OC, Adrien. :) Shit's kinda calmer in this chapter, though there's still a bit of "ahhhhhhhhhh!" there. (verbatim from my husband, btw). So hopefully you enjoy it. Remember, these updates may not always come as quickly, but for now I seem to be on a roll. :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. But I do own Adrien. :)**

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><p>"Did we just see what I think we just saw?"<p>

Jace wrinkled his nose at his adopted sister.

"If you think we just saw Clary Fray being carted away by the Silent Brothers and members of the Clave, then yes. Yes, you did just see that." Alec said sarcastically.

Jace groaned as he peeked around the corner again. "Would you two just _shut up_ already?! This is serious! What are we going to do?!"

He glanced back at the siblings who stared at him blankly. "What are we going to do about what?"

His mouth gaped as he struggled to comprehend what Alec had said. "Excuse me?! We can't just let them take her! She hasn't done anything wrong!"

Isabelle's head tilted to the side as she studied him. Alec's lips flattened into a thin line, his breathing speeding rapidly into pants. "You don't know that. Why exactly would we help her? We don't know her."

Jace shook his head, sprinting away from the Lightwood siblings as he trailed silently after the envoy made up of Shadowhunter elite. Why had they sent their best to take her? Surely she wasn't **that** dangerous.

He had a feeling he knew where they were leading, but he still gasped in surprise as he rounded the corner to the cemetery where the Silent City's entrance was more than an hour later. He crept silently forward, the moonlight guiding his way as he slunk between headstones.

"So you've finally arrived."

Jace spun, tripping over his own feet as he caught sight of a figure draped in shadows perched on top of one of the larger mausoleums. Whoever it was leapt down with an innate grace and seemed to slither toward him.

"Who are you?" Jace straightened his back, his left hand moving to grip his blade.

"Good instincts you have, young Wayland. They are, however, of no use to you at the present time. I have no interest in harming you." Jace's eyebrows shot nearly to his hairline. "Or the darling girl they just brought in. If you'd like to follow me, I will take you to her."

With a sharp exhale, feeling as if he'd somehow averted some sort of impending crisis, Jace took a tentative step forward. "Who are you? And why should I trust you?"

His golden eyes sparked as they narrowed in suspicion. The figure before him reached hand up, pulling the hood down to reveal his handsome face.

"I am Adrien Pontmercy. My sister, Josiane, is a member of the Council. And you should trust me because I am an ally of Luke Garroway-well, Graymark. I helped train Clary."

x . x . x . x . x

Jace's feet were too loud. He tried to step lightly, cringing at every small sound his boots made against the stark cold stone.

His hand never left his dagger, ready to slice down anything and anyone in his path if the need arose. They wandered the stone corridors for what seemed like days, winding their way through narrow passages that twisted this way and that. He did not expect the steep staircase set far back into the stone wall to be their destination, though judging by how many had come to collect Clary, he supposed it made sense to keep her in a cell. Adrien gestured for Jace to precede him as he grabbed a torch off the wall near their heads.

He descended slowly, the mysterious ally of Clary's trailing silently behind him. His head whipped back and forth, his blond hair falling haphazardly into his eyes every few moments. Jace's hand swept it away with an irritated huff every time, making the man behind him chuckle slightly.

"Who is that?!"

Clary's sharp cry echoed on the bare stone and Jace leaped down the last few steps, stumbling slightly as he careened smack into a set of metal bars. He pulled away quickly, hissing in pain as livid burns erupted on his arms.

"Demon metal? You've got her in a cell made of demon metal?!"

"It was not my decision, I assure you." Adrien reached a hand into the folds of his robe, withdrawing a weathered key. He slipped it silently into the lock, the tumblers quickly sliding back to admit Jace into the cell.

"Clary!" He forgot everything around them. He forgot that they were deep under the Silent City, sneaking around with the brother of a Council member while Clary awaited….something from the Silent Brothers. Jace shot into the cell, falling to his knees beside the tiny girl, his hands fluttering ineffectually over her as he tried to reassure himself that she was in one piece.

Her eyebrows pulled down as the corners of her lips dropped into a frown. "Wayland? What are you doing here?"

He blanched, reeling back from her as he realized what he'd done. Abruptly, Clary gasped, her back arching away from the stone wall as her wrists strained against the metal bonds around her wrists. Jace's golden eyes widened, almost comically as she strained toward him. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, stunned when her body went slack at his touch.

"What-how...you're afraid. And anxious." Clary declared, staring up at him from where she collapsed to the stone floor.

His forehead wrinkled as he stared down at her. "Uh-yeah. How did you know?"

"I-felt it. Like the feeling surged through me, right from-" Her eyes shot open wide, white clearly showing all around the luscious green of her irises. Her hand clutched at the loose shirt she wore, her fingers digging into the fabric as she struggled back up to her knees.

Jace's eye dropped to her chest, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the tip of a livid black mark. Carefully, his fingers barely skimming her skin, he drew her shirt down to reveal the rune burned onto her chest-directly above her heart.

"That's-that's not..._WHAT DOES THIS MEAN_?!"

"I suggest you lower your voice, young Wayland. And also relinquish Clary's shirt, if you don't mind." His fingers relaxed reflexively, and Clary pulled her shirt back up, shifting uneasily.

"I don't-I don't know, okay? I mean, I can create new runes-that's why Isabelle didn't recognize some of my marks. But this one just...appeared one day. And I have no idea-" She paused as Jace yanked down his shirt, baring his chest to her eyes.

The trio sat in stunned silence for a few heartbeats as the younger two stared at each other wide eyed. Adrien sighed, running his hand down his face tiredly.

"As much as I hate to break up this get together, you're needed up above."

"What?! No! She hasn't done anything!"

"I meant both of you."

Again, they were stunned into silence as Adrien withdrew a stele from the folds of his robes. His wrist twisted in a complicated pattern before the shackles fell off of Clary's wrists, clattering to the stone floor.

Jace's eyebrows lowered as he took her hands in his. "But-you're not burned."

Clary avoided his eyes, struggling to her feet and shaking out her limbs. "Yeah. Demon metal doesn't affect me."

"What?! No, that doesn't make any-"

"Come, children. We do not have all day. And the Silent Brothers will begin to get restless if we're down here much longer."

"I'm not a child." Jace smiled as Clary muttered under her breath, following her out of the cell and standing awkwardly in the torch lit hallway.

"I advise you to hold your tongue, young ones. Answer only what is asked of you. And answer as truthfully as you are able. Your lives may indeed depend on it."

They noticed the plural in Adrien's words and glanced at each other with questions in their eyes. Gold met green in a spark of heat and Jace carefully reached out, linking his hand with hers as they paused at the bottom of the stairs. Adrien kept climbing, oblivious or outright ignoring their lack of progress.

"Together?"

Clary stared at their intertwined fingers, her brows pulled down and a puzzled expression on her face. Seeming to come to some internal decision, she shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I guess so. Lead on, Wayland."

They stepped onto the stone stairs, following the light of the torch Adrien carried, neither quite knowing what was coming.

x . x . x . x . x

_Do you know who I am, Clarissa Morgenstern?_

Clary growled low in her throat. Jace cast a withering glance her way and pursed his lips as he leaned against the wall. She shook off his annoyance and paced inside the circle they'd confined her to.

"My **name** is **NOT** Clarissa. It is also not Morgenstern. If you'd like me to cooperate _at all_ I suggest you get that through your thick skulls."

Adrien's head fell forward and Jace heard a soft sigh escape his lips. Luke, who an unassuming woman had led out a few moments before, leaned heavily on the wall next to Jace, a silver cuff around his ankle to zap whatever strength he may have been able to marshall.

_Who you pretend to be is irrelevant. You are Clarissa Morgenstern and therefore that is the name we will use._

"I don't understand what's so difficult about this. I am not a Morgenstern. Valentine is not my father. Jocelyn is not my mother. My only family is Luke-right over there. He's been my only family since I was born and nothing you can say will change that. Now **call me by the right fucking name!**" Her eyes flashed with unconcealed rage as her chest heaved, her breaths coming in fast pants.

_Do you know why we've brought you here, Clarissa?_

Clary crossed her arms over her chest, her feet wide and her booted foot tapping the stone floor. She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows at the Brother that seemed to be in charge, though she couldn't quite tell since they only spoke in her mind. Her silence was her rebellion, her refusal to acknowledge their words her only source of power.

_So be it. __**Bring the sword.**_

The others twitched as the telepathic voice sounded in their heads, loud and unforgiving. Jace gasped, taking an involuntary step forward before Luke pulled him back, muttering sharply in his ear.

"You'll learn the same thing I've been trying to tell you. I have nothing to do with Valentine. He may have impregnated the woman who gave birth to me but that's the extent of it. He's nothing more than a glorified sperm donor. A fucking insane one at that. "

Ignoring her outburst, the Brothers drew in closer to the circle where she stood as another hooded figure, this one distinctly feminine brought forth an old, heavy looking sword. The woman was bowed slightly as she bore it's weight and she knelt just outside the boundaries of Clary's confines, holding it up with trembling arms. One of the brothers reached a bone white, emaciated hand out, lifting the weapon reverently into the air.

_We ask the Angel Raziel for his wisdom and insight as we seek the truth from this girl._

With no hesitation, the Brother stepped forward, shoving the sword to Clary's chest when she refused to take it from him. The moment the metal made contact an inhuman scream ripped out of her throat, her arms coming up convulsively, clutching the weapon to her. The last thing she saw before the blackness overtook her vision was the golden boy breaking away from Luke and diving towards her, his face contorted in pain and misery.

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><p><strong>Hopefully you enjoyed, chapter 6 is nearly done, and leave me a comment or review if ya like. :) Have a good one lovelies!<strong>


	6. Alleys

**This is a shorter chapter, but it's still pretty important. And there will probably be more questions at the end of it. Muahahahaha! Yeeeaaaahhhh...I'm not all that sorry. But I AM incredibly grateful for all the faves/follows/reviews-they really mean the world to me. :) So hopefully you enjoy the chapter. Happy reading lovelies!**

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><p>He saw everything. Every hurt, every punch, every single moment of her life-everything flashed before his eyes.<p>

His heart ached for all she'd suffered, tears pooling in his eyes as the visions continued. He felt disconnected from his body, his consciousness pulled into Clary's mind, sharing her tiny body as if they were one.

It ended abruptly as he saw himself, though he shone in an ethereal way that couldn't possibly be real. It was only then that he felt the cold stone against his back and the warm weight as Clary rested against his chest. Her breathing was rapid and pained, her eyes squeezed shut as tremors wracked her tiny body.

"What-" He groaned, clearing his throat as he struggled to sit up. He kicked out at the sword, knocking it from where it had slipped from Clary's hands, sending it careening across the floor. He noticed Luke pacing restlessly around the circle, glancing at the two of them every few seconds. "What happened? What did you do to her?!"

1

_Calm yourself, Jace Wayland. We merely needed to test her. And we needed to test you as well._

Jace shook his head, trying to clear the fog that persisted. "Test me? What the hell for?!"

He bundled Clary against him, his arms wrapping tightly around her as the cold seeped through his pants. He needed to protect her, from anything and everything that would hurt her.

_All will be revealed in due time. For now, return to the Institute. Lucian will accompany you and the girl. Be of care, Jace Wayland. Hard times are upon us all._

With supreme effort, Jace stood. He cradled Clary to his chest and limped his way out of the circle where Luke ambushed them, checking Clary over for any obvious injury.

"Let's go. I feel like I've been hit by a truck." Jace sighed as Luke led the way and Adrien followed behind, Clary's hair a streaming wave of fire waving next to him as he walked.

x . x . x . x . x

Luke stalked down the street, knocking into the mundanes as they passed, glowering at any protests thrown his way. Jace and Clary, both invisible to the mundanes, followed slowly. She was still cradled in his arms, though her eyes were beginning to flutter.

"Luke. Slow down, please. Jace is having trouble keeping up."

Jace cast a thankful look to Adrien, who'd swapped out his robes for more human clothing. His jeans and Abercrombie hoodie looked severely out of place to the young Shadowhunter, though he couldn't find much energy to care.

"The Institute is just a few more blocks." Jace nodded to the left, down an alley he and Alec had discovered when they were small.

"Yes. I know. I may be an outcast of the Clave, but I remember where the god damned Institute is." Adrien placed a calming hand on Luke's shoulder, though the werewolf threw it off as he kicked at a pile of garbage overflowing a dented dumpster.

Jace glared over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at Luke's childish display. Then he pulled up short as he faced forward once again.

There was a man in his path. His face was shadowed, his lithe body bathed in moonlight that bounced off the pavement from below, making him look like something out of a ghost story. A startled shout sounded behind him, though it cut off midway through. A shiver raced up Jace's spine and he sincerely hoped that Luke and Adrien were alright. He sure as hell wasn't going to turn his back on this mysterious stranger. Not when Clary was in his arms.

"Good evening."

That voice-it slithered through the night, molesting his ears as he cringed away. Jace took a miniscule step back, glad that the man's attention was focused on the girl cradled in his arms and not on Jace himself.

"Who are you?" It was a pointless question-they both knew that Jace had figured out his identity. And yet still, the man bowed sarcastically, his arms sweeping wide as he tilted his head down.

"Why, I'm Valentine Morgenstern of course. And you are Jace Wayland."

The boy's golden eyes shot wide open as he staggered back another step, which Valentine of course noticed. "How exactly do you know who I am?"

A malicious grin crossed Valentine's face, twisting his handsome features into a monstrous mask of cruelty.

"You mean, your parents never told you?" He gasped sarcastically, his hand covering his heart dramatically as he stumbled back a step. Then he straightened, taking an achingly slow step forward. His face lowered toward Jace, their noses nearly touching. "Oh, but that's right. Your mother died in childbirth, didn't she? And your father, well-he was an expert at keeping secrets."

A smirk crossed the boy's face as he leaned close enough for his eyelashes to skim Valentine's cheek. "You'd know a lot about keeping secrets. But then again, so did your ex-wife apparently."

Valentine reared back, his black eyes wide. Rage coursed through him as he narrowed his obsidian eyes until they were nothing but slits.

"Watch your tongue, _boy_, before I remove it for you." The low growl of Valentine's words rushed over Jace as he felt Clary begin to wiggle in his arms. His breathing hitched, his fingers tightening minutely on her small body, pulling her even closer to him.

"Stay still." His voice was nothing but a shadow of silence and he prayed to the Angel that Clary would hear. And not only that she'd somehow hear the desperation in his nearly nonexistent words. He didn't dare open his mouth more than a sliver for fear of Valentine acting on the murderous impulses he could see brewing behind the cold, calculating facade he tried to maintain.

"Well, this has been a rousing good time, but now it's time for me to be off. After all, the Clave will be aware by now of the portal we opened. Dear old Jocey was quite the tattletale." Valentine clucked his tongue, shaking his head with an air of a disappointed parent. "I'll just take my daughter off your hands and be on my way."

The malicious grin that snaked across his face spoke of horrors Jace couldn't even imagine, everything he was waiting to inflict on the daughter he was just now laying eyes on. And Jace knew he'd never forgive himself if he let Clary go now.

"You will **never** get your hands on her. Not as long as I'm alive."

Valentine smirked at the fierceness etched onto the boy's finely crafted features, the venom in his impertinent words as he spoke-even in the face of insurmountable odds. If he truly wanted the girl, he was more than capable of taking her. But he also wasn't going to waste a valuable resource-and that's what Jace Wayland may prove to be sometime in the future.

"A truly noble goal, I assure you." A sharp jolt echoed behind Jace, though he knew better than to take his golden eyes off of Valentine for even a moment. "And that would be my cue to leave. I must say-those runes worked absolutely _perfectly_, wouldn't you say?"

And on that cryptic note, Valentine spun, chasing the shadows further into the alley before they swallowed him completely. Jace's eyes strained, despite their better than perfect vision-just waiting for Valentine to change his mind.

A coughed echoed in the alley behind him and Jace jumped as a hand clamped itself on his shoulder.

Luke's haggard face appeared in front of him a moment later, his blue eyes searching the two young Shadowhunters for injury.

"You're alright?" As Jace nodded affirmatively, Luke spun around, pinning Adrien against the grimy bricks of the alley. "How did he know?!"

Adrien kept his relaxed stance, his brown eyes meeting Luke's in an unwavering stare. "Luke. Think. You know what this means."

The werewolf's eyes widened fractionally. Clary also chose that moment to become fully aware, her emerald eyes shooting open as her head whipped around spastically.

"Jace?! Luke?!" Then her eyes focused on the third member of their party. "Adrien?!"

Luke abandoned his friend, his arms flinging themselves around not only Clary, but Jace as well. His dark mop of hair fell over his eyes and mingled with Clary's fiery tresses as he bent over her small frame still encased in Jace's arms.

"I was so afraid. He was going to take you and-" Her small hand shot out, resting gently on Luke's shoulder. Her eyes shot to Jace and she nodded slightly toward the ground. Though he instantly set her on her feet, he refused to part with her completely, his hands still resting lightly on her waist. Her small, deceptively strong arms wrapped around her father, who clung to her as if he thought she'd disappear. Jace backed away slowly, trying to give them a moment to themselves, only to be stopped when a hand grabbed his wrist lightly.

His golden eyes rose, meeting Luke's stormy blues as the werewolf clutched his hand. "Don't."

One word, four letters-such a simple utterance. And yet, in that one simple moment, Jace felt the pieces of his life falling rapidly into place. Without a thought, he wrapped his arms around Clary's back and she sighed at the contact.

Adrien leaned silently against the wall, watching with a satisfied smirk. This was everything he knew had been coming and everything he'd ever dared to hope for. His best friend and the girl who had become like a daughter to him were finally finding their happiness. He only hoped that they could hold onto it.

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><p><strong>Leave a comment if ya like. Thanks for reading and have a great...nightday/week/weekend...you get the idea. :)**


	7. Somewhere Safe

**I'm sorry this took a few days-but in all fairness I DID warn you. :) Not to mention I'm sick...weirdly so since none of the kidlets were sick first. *hmmmmm* So there's an OC in here and a character than I'm quite positive is not at all how he is in the books but since I never actually finished the books...I wanted to put him where he is. (That's so confusing!) Anyhoo, hope you enjoy!**

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><p>"You told them where to find her!"<p>

Clary's eyes were wide as she slouched on the plush sofa. Jace was next to her, twiddling with her fingers as they waited for someone to remember they were there.

"I had no choice, Luke! This is the pr-"

"The price she had to pay, we know. Except she didn't do anything wrong! You're the one who chose to run away from Valentine. You're the one who chose to leave Clary with me and return to the Clave. You're the one who has made nothing but questionable decisions. And now your daughter has to pay the price?!" Luke scoffed as his hand raked through his hair.

"Now Luke, I'm sure Jocelyn-" Maryse snapped her mouth shut quickly as the werewolf shot her a frosty glare.

"Don't defend her Maryse! If this was about Alec or Isabelle or Max, what would you do?"

The Lightwood matriarch looked pained, her gaze darting between her two old friends.

"Yeah. You would never take out your issues on them. Or even Jace! I just-" With an exasperated noise that Clary struggled to put a name to, Luke spun on his heel and stalked from the library.

Jocelyn relaxed her defensive stance, slowly spinning around to face her daughter, her eyes widening as they took in the man sitting next to her.

"Clary! Get away from him!"

The duo just blinked at her, clearly confused as to why she was all of a sudden freaking out.

"Uh...no?" Clary said sardonically, delighting in the red hue her mother's face was taking on.

Jocelyn stalked forward, ripping Clary's hand out of Jace's and trying to tug her off the sofa. Clary raised both eyebrows in surprise at her mother's lackluster attempts to drag her away.

"Seriously? That's all you've got?!" She craned her head to the side, her eyes sparking in mischief as she looked toward Maryse. "Wasn't she supposed to be one of the best Shadowhunters of your day?"

Jocelyn choked out a disgruntled huff, rearing back as if she'd been slapped. "Clary, you can't possibly feel _safe_ around **him**! He's-he's…"

"**He's** the one who kept Valentine from taking me, so I think I feel quite safe around him, thanks." Jocelyn grit her teeth at Clary's sass, tugging again at her arm as she attempted to pull her off the sofa.

"Honestly Jocelyn. You can't manage to lift a tiny little girl? How much can she weigh, 90 pounds?" Maryse Lightwood tutted as she stood slowly, calmly striding toward the sofa where her adopted son sat with Clary. She leaned her hip against the edge of the leather, her fingers raking through Jace's tangled hair in an affectionate way. "I heard about what happened. You both must be starving. Come on, let's get you something to eat."

Jace groaned, sinking further into the cushions, ducking his head behind Clary's back in a futile attempt to hide himself. "Please tell me Isabelle isn't the one cooking!"

Maryse laughed as Clary reached around her to smack him lightly on the back. He peeked out from underneath a curtain of her bedraggled hair, grinning sheepishly. "You seriously have no idea how bad it is. We could totally chase the demons back to their dimension with her...uh...food."

"No, she hasn't been in the kitchen for the last few days. And she's been holed up with Max ever since you...took off." Jace cringed away from Maryse's glare.

"I said I was sorry. And, hey! It turned out fine. See?" Clary giggled at the charming grin Jace cast up at Maryse, who actually flushed slightly as she shook her head.

"Alright, alright. Let's get you two fed and then you both need sleep."

Jace shot to his feet, bending slightly as he offered his calloused hands to Clary. She stared for a moment, utterly confused by his actions. And even more confused by the feelings that welled up in her chest as she took in the warmth glowing from his eyes.

"But-we're not done here young lady!" Jocelyn's voice echoed shrilly around the open space. Her foot stomped angrily on the hardwood floors, and Clary glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh go fornicate yourself with a rake, _mother dearest."_

x . x . x . x . x

They'd been at the Insitute for over a month. And Clary was about to lose her mind. Luke commuted to his bookstore everyday, her mother flitted in and out, saying nothing more than "Clave business!", while the Lightwoods carried on as they always had.

And Clary was going to murder someone violently if they didn't let her leave soon.

"How can you do it? Stay cooped up in here all the fucking time?!" Clary glared at Jace, who was lounging on the bed in the room she'd been given, tossing a dagger into the air repeatedly and catching it by the hilt.

He was the only bright spot in this whole debacle. Like her, he hadn't been permitted to leave. After their run in with Valentine, that she could barely remember since she was only semi-conscious, the adults had decided to quarantine the two for the foreseeable future.

Much to Clary's annoyance, it had actually been Luke who'd argued vehemently FOR that outcome, while Jocelyn had been of the opinion that it'd be perfectly safe for them to go out. She'd been overruled, mostly due to Robert and Maryse Lightwood siding with Luke. And since were Jace's guardians, their decision held more weight than Jocelyn's. Not to mention Clary would never deliberately go against Luke. He'd been the only good part of her life for so long-he was her father in every way that mattered. And she never wanted to disappoint him.

She was startled out of her thoughts as Jace sat up, sighing roughly. "Believe me, this isn't easy for me either. But-I don't want to disobey Maryse and Robert. I may be an adult, but they're still the only parents I ever really had. My father wasn't...well-yeah."

Clary's features softened as they so often did when she looked at the golden man before her. She was no closer to deciphering her feelings than she'd been when they'd met. She was supremely confused, yet every single time she tried to corner Luke to ask he managed to escape with an odd look on his face. Almost resigned-which, again, was confusing.

"Do you think they'd let us just go get something at Taki's? I can't pretend to like Isabelle's food today-I just don't have the energy." Jace smirked at Clary's words, pursing his lips to hold back the grin threatening to break across his face.

"Doesn't hurt to ask. Maybe Alec and Isabelle can come too. An extra layer of protection?"

Clary wrinkled her nose and Jace laughed, ruffling her hair as he stood, towering over her of course. "Alec hates me."

"He doesn't _hate_ you. He just...takes awhile to warm up to people."

Clary rolled her emerald eyes as Jace grabbed her hand, his fingers twining with her as he tugged her gently along. They wandered the corridors, ducking their heads into room after room after room-not finding anyone.

"Seriously? Where could they have gone?!"

Clary shrugged, her patience finally coming to it's end. "No idea. And I don't care." She faced Jace, a hard look on her dainty features. "I am going to Taki's. Are you coming?"

x . x . x . x . x

"Mmmmmmm, waffles!"

Their waiter smiled at Clary's enthusiasm and winked as he deposited a bottle of syrup in front of her. Jace scowled, grabbing his plate from the waiter's hand.

"If you need anything, ask for me. Name's Dave."

Jace snorted. "Dave? Wow, manly name there Dave." He jolted in his seat as a tiny foot propelled itself into his shin.

"JACE!" Clary sighed as she turned her sights to the waiter once again. "I'm so sorry, he's just-a little bit….wait."

Jace raised his eyes from where they'd been focused on his waffles as he meticulously filled every single square with syrup.

His eyes swept the diner, taking in the oddities that Clary had already noticed. Their waiter-_Dave_-was frozen as he leaned over their table, a smarmy grin directed at Clary. The other patrons sat motionless and silent. And-the biggest one of all, at least to Jace's eyes-was the glimpse into the kitchen, where Meliorn was flipping a burger-which was frozen in midair.

"Uh, Jace? What just happened?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Clary's eyes widened as they gaped at something directly over his shoulder and Jace spun quickly in the booth, his hand immediately resting on his dagger.

And his breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of Valentine. Except-not.

This man was obviously younger, his face unlined in a youthful way. His eyes, identical to Clary's, sparked with mischief rather than maliciousness. And his lithe, lean body was less ravaged by unkind years.

"Who are you?" Clary's voice wavered, though when Jace chanced a glance over his shoulder he saw her standing, her body braced in a defensive stance.

The boy's eyebrows furrowed. "What? But-you don't know?"

Jace slid out of the booth, stepping quickly to Clary's side as he pulled a seraph blade from his waistband.

"Obviously not. So if you'll kindly-uh, unfreeze everyone, we'll be leaving." Jace's hand gripped Clary's arm tightly as he dragged her back a few paces, their eyes still glued to the mysterious man before them.

They spun to exit, only to find the door locked. Jace tugged, both hands yanking fruitlessly on the doorknob as Clary cast wary glances over her shoulder.

"Are you quite done?"

"Let. Us. Out."

"I can't. I need to get you somewhere safe."

Clary pulled her seraph blade out of her waistband, whispering its name quickly as she crouched. Jace abandoned his efforts on the door and mimicked her actions, falling into the familiar fighting stance he'd long since mastered.

Without another word, Clary charged. The man looked taken aback at her ferocity and stumbled backward as she advanced rapidly.

His green eyes widened in fear as he threw his hands up. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just-"

"That's what Valentine said. Who the fuck are you?! His loyal fucking minion?!"

Clary swiped with her blade, the man jumping back as he sucked in his stomach, barely avoiding her attack. Jace circled silently behind the counter and approached him from the back. He shook his head as he crept by the frozen diners and employees, slightly unnerved at their wax-like appearances.

"Clary! Stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

Jace's head whipped around as he heard a muffled shriek that sounded distinctly feminine. With that motivation coursing through his veins, he sprung up and over the counter, landing directly in front of the man who now held a struggling Clary, her arm twisted up behind her back.

"Let her fucking go and maybe I won't kill you." Jace's blade whirled, coming to rest mere millimeters from his Adam's apple, grazing Clary's hair in the process.

"I told you both! I don't want to hurt her!" He gently shoved her forward, releasing her arm and raising his again immediately. "She's in danger. I **need** to get her somewhere safe."

His pleading words echoed in the frozen diner.

"And why exactly do you care?" Clary questioned, green eyes narrowed as they swept over the man from head to toe.

His hands dropped and Jace inched forward, his arm twitching with the need to protect Clary.

"I care because-" He sighed, his head dropping in defeat. "I'm Jonathan. I'm your brother, Clary."

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><p><strong>Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN...<strong>

**Leave me a comment (or rant at me) if ya like. Hopefully you enjoyed and I'll see ya soon lovelies! **


	8. Parabatai

**This was going to be a more action packed chapter-but Jace and Alec kinda sidelined me. They NEEDED to have their moment apparently. (Prissy bitches.) Anyhoo, sorry this took a few days. I caught the plague or something and felt like death. I still feel like death actually, but I'm being fairly productive since Mr. Kelpie brought me an EVOS milkshake to soothe my raw throat. :) So yeah, hopefully you enjoy.**

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><p>Clary blinked. "Excuse me? I thought you said you were my brother."<p>

"We're leaving. Now." Jace grabbed her arm, limp with surprise and tugged her to the door. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he pushed her gently through the door, ushering her quickly down the sidewalk and away from the diner.

"Wait!"

Jace jerked to a stop as Clary spun, her eyes still wide and her breathing erratic. The man jogged their way and Jace crouched once again, raising his dagger menacingly.

"STOP. Just leave us alone." Clary's breath abruptly caught as her foot froze mid step .Jace rolled his eyes. "Clary, just stay behi-"

"I froze her. This is just for you." The man-Jonathan-skidded to a stop in front of them, his eyes sad, but understanding. He held his hand out, a crumpled slip of paper gripped between his fingers. "Please. Just take this. If you need me, anytime-day or night-call that number and I'll be there immediately. _Nothing_ is more important to me than Clary. I've spent so long trying to find her."

He sighed, raking his hand through his white blond hair, clearly unconcerned with the dagger Jace still gripped tightly.

"Why? Why have you been trying to find her? What's in it for you?"

"She's my little sister. This-this...everything goes much deeper than you can imagine. You can't trust anyone. There's a traitor-someone loyal to Valentine-somewhere around you." Jace raised an eyebrow. "I don't know who yet. Please-just...please keep her safe."

Scowling, Jace weighed his options. He knew Jonathan could just freeze him and take Clary. And yet-he wasn't. Either he really did just want to protect her or this was some elaborate ruse. And for once, his gut was no help. He was so terrified of something happening to the tiny girl behind him that his instincts seemed to be frozen. After a brief moment of silence, Jace's tawny eyes met Jonathan's emerald ones. He nodded slowly and reached forward to take the paper still clutched in Jonathan's outstretched hand, glancing quickly down at the ten digit number scrawled messily across it.

In the blink of an eye, Jonathan had disappeared and Clary stumbled forward into Jace. Her head whipped around spastically, searching frantically for any sign of her unknown brother.

"Jace? What-where did he go?"

The paper was shoved quickly and unceremoniously into his pocket as Jace shook his head slightly. He tucked his dagger back into his waistband, reaching out to link his fingers with hers. He sighed as he noticed the tremble running through her as those beautiful emerald eyes whipped back and forth across the nearly deserted sidewalk.

"He left. Come on, we need to get back. I'll find the waffle maker and make you something special, alright?" He leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before he began leading her down the sidewalk. He needed to get her off the street.

x . x . x . x . x

"Why is she still here?"

Jace groaned as his head dropped to the counter in front of him, wincing when it made contact with the soapy sponge he'd been using. He wrinkled his nose as he strengthened, the sponge sticking to his face before dropping back to the counter with a 'schlop'.

Alec barked out a laugh, leaning back against the wall as he covered his mouth with his hand, propping his leg up slightly.

"What do you have against her? Seriously? Just cause she yelled at you when we first met? She'd just been attacked...and you're not exactly the most-welcoming-person…"

Alec crossed his arms over his chest and Jace faced him, leaning back against the kitchen island, his hands resting at his sides. He pursed his lips, his eyes glancing up every few seconds before dropping back to the floor

"She...you…" Alec paused, his brow furrowing as he tried to collect his thoughts. "It's just-I'm your parabatai."

His azure eyes raised, taking Jace's stiff stance with a decidedly sad gaze. "You're different. The second you laid eyes on her you became…" Alec pushed off the wall, his hands gesturing wildly as he began pacing around the island.

"You think this changes things with us?" Jace's eyes were wide in astonishment as he gazed at his best friend.

"Well...yeah. I mean, you can't even go out anymore...because of _her_."

"Uh, no. I can't go out anymore because your parents and Clary's dad are paranoid about Valentine. Which seems like it might not be such a bad thing." Jace paused, debating quietly with himself.

He trusted Alec with his life. But did he trust him with Clary's? He bit his lip as he watched his parabatai-remembering all the times they'd saved each other. All the horrors they'd seen together. All the big life events they'd shared. They were close-closer than brothers...and he loved Alec.

"I need to tell you something." Jace breathed deeply as Alec spun to face him, his hands on his hips in a stunning imitation of Magnus. Jace snorted as he nearly doubled over in laughter. "You've seriously been spending too much time with your boyfriend!"

Alec flushed slightly, but rolled his eyes. He refused to be put off, especially since he had long since become comfortable with his own sexuality-mostly thanks to his warlock lover.

Jace glanced around furtively, his eyes narrowing as Robert ambled slowly into the kitchen, seemingly engrossed in the sport's section of the paper.

"Not here." His voice was lowered. "Just follow me."

x . x . x . x . x

"So-you're telling me that Clary's brother...the one who was just over a year old and supposedly died in the fire where Valentine supposedly died, but didn't actually die...didn't die either and is now somewhere in the city, supposedly because he wants to keep her safe?" Jace's eyes furrowed as his brain fought to keep up with Alec's convoluted question.

"Yes. That's precisely what I'm saying."

"And he just...what? Let you go after scaring the ever loving crap out of you?"

Jace reared back, a haughty frown crossing his face. "He did not **scare** me. I was worried-purely for Clary's sake."

Alec bit his lip, his nose wrinkling as he gave Jace 'the look'. "This isn't about **her**! Well, I mean it is, but it's-you just hate her for no reason. Please, give her a chance man. I think-well...I don't know, but...I think I may-I maybefallinginlovewithher."

Alec's eyes shot open wide as he sucked in a harsh breath. He let his back go slack, falling back against his headboard, his head banging slightly against the wall.

"You're-what?"

Jace glanced up, an agonized expression twisting his angelic features. "I just-I feel...so much. The second I touched her this-" He glanced at his shirt covered chest, where they both knew that unknown rune still rested above his heart. "-appeared and ever since I just...I can't stop touching her. And she doesn't really seem to mind, even though we haven't really talked about...anything relationship-y. And it's just so easy with her. I can be myself-not like I can't with you and Izzy, but it's just...different. Ya know? You're you when you're with me but you're different with Magnus...but you're still you. Ya know?"

Alec gaped at him as he rambled and Jace glanced down as his crossed legs, his fingers twining together nervously.

"It feels like-she was meant for me. It's weird. But it's not something I want to fight. So-" He stopped and sucked in a deep breath, raising his amber eyes to Alec's. "-I'd really appreciate it if you'd give her a chance. She really thinks you hate her. And I can't have you both at each other's throats every time we're all together. It's just-not going to work. Please?"

Alec closed his mouth, swallowing convulsively as he stared at his best friend. He considered his words. Maybe he hasn't been fair to the tiny red head. After all, she was the reason he and Magnus were together. His brows furrowed as he lost himself in thought.

What it all came down to was Jace. He loved Jace. And he'd do anything for him. It'd been that way since-well, forever. Even before Jace had joined their family. He knew how much it cost Jace to actually break down and admit something this huge to anyone-but especially to him. He was always the one Jace felt he had to be strong for. But not anymore. Alec had really come into his own in the last few months-ever since he'd been with Magnus. So, yeah-he could definitely try to help Jace find that same sort of happiness.

"One condition." He held up a finger and Jace nodded slowly. "She breaks you and I don't care if she's a girl. I'll break her fucking face."

"Alright Fred Durst. Condition accepted."

They grinned boyishly at each other, slapping their palms together in a complicated array of gestures.

"Seriously?" Isabelle's voice startled them and their heads whipped around to see her framed in Alec's doorway. "You're twenty-fucking-two and you're STILL doing that stupid handshake thing?! Ugh boys!"

Shaking her head, she swished her way back down the hallway, leaving the door open, hearing their laughter chasing her as she went.

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><p><strong>And that's that. Chapter 9 is already in the works, so hopefully it'll be out to you in the next few days-provided my plague doesn't knock me out again. If you have questionscomments/concerns/speculations/suggestions/etc leave a review or pm if ya like. Thanks for reading darlins!**


	9. Birthday Plans

**This turned into a beast of a chapter...Jace and Luke just NEEDED this apparently. I tried to rush them and they shut me down real quick. I had originally meant for most of the next chapter to be in this (yes, it's mostly written), but it was just getting toooooooo long. There's not too much action, but I swear it's gonna pick up soon. :) Enjoy lovelies!**

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><p>Jace picked up the laundry basket full of clothes, sighing as he balanced it on his hip. He hadn't been out of the house since that...incident at Taki's. Clary was going stir crazy and driving everyone up a wall. Not to mention, she had absolutely no domestic abilities whatsoever. She was-to put it mildly-a mess. Or at least she didn't mind living in a mess. Which, coincidentally, drove Jace up a wall.<p>

He'd never had an actual relationship before. But as of two weeks, three days, eleven hours and thirty seven minutes ago-that's what they'd decided was going on. And he'd been floating on a cloud ever since-except for her mess. That was driving him batty.

The huge ringing gong of a doorbell sounded and he sighed yet again. Alec and Izzy were out doing-something. And his parents and Max were in Alicante for some Clave business with Jocelyn. Hodge was shut up in his suite of rooms like always and there was no hope of him moving in the next century. And Clary was sleeping.

He lugged the basket down the hall and dropped it outside the elevator, stepping in and leaning against the back wall as he descended. He stalked across the cathedral, checking the video monitor quickly before rolling his eyes and yanking the door open.

"Hey Luke. What's up?"

The werewolf stepped inside quickly, slapping palms with the younger man as they both began walking back through the church.

"How is everything? You two doing alright?"

Jace raised a sardonic eyebrow. "You're her dad. And you really want to hear about how our relationship is going?"

Luke ran a hand through his hair restlessly as they stepped inside the elevator. "She's not my daughter. She's just-"

"Luke. Really. She's your daughter. She always refers to you as her dad. And you're the most important person in her life."

"Thanks." Luke smiled weakly. "It's just hard. I've raised her for the last twenty years and it just feels...it feels like I'm losing her."

Jace's expression fell into a frown as the elevator jerked to a stop.

"No! Not from you. It just-it feels like something bad is right on the horizon. And this feeling gets stronger every single day."

Jace nodded slowly, bending to pick up the laundry basket. He balanced it on his hip once again as he nodded for Luke to follow him.

"I know what you mean. Ever since Valentine popped up…"

"So. Where's she at? I wanted to talk to her about her birthday next week."

Jace's body jerked around so hard the laundry slipped out of his hand, the basket landing heavily on his foot.

"Shit!" He hopped in place for a moment, muttering under his breath as Luke chuckled lowly. "She's sleeping. She's been dragging me to the training room every day and she won't let me out until she's exhausted."

"Oh, well it's no big deal. I'll just-talk to her later then. Yeah...I actually-uh, need to-get back...to the shop...yeah."

Jace's brow furrowed. "Nah man, it's fine. Come on. Besides now I need your help. A certain fiery redhead neglected to tell me about this birthday of hers and now I need to figure something out."

Luke grinned, his face lighting up and making him look decades younger.

"That sounds just like her."

Jace nodded, shuffling the basket to hold with one hand as he gripped the doorknob of Clary's room, pushing it open without fanfare.

He stepped inside, dropping the basket just inside the door and grabbing an empty trash bag he'd placed there earlier. Shaking his head he padded softly to the bed, pulling the sheet higher up around Clary's waist before placing a soft kiss to her forehead. Then he straightened, shaking out the trash bag loudly as he rolled his eyes at the chaos around him.

"So, what did you have in mind? Do you usually have parties for her?" Jace paused, scooping up an armload of empty water bottles on the side of her bed. "Well, no probably not, huh? I mean, being in hiding and everything."

He scooped another armful, bending to check under the bed and rolling his eyes as he reached an arm as far back as he could to get the stray plastic.

"I think maybe a small party would be nice, since she's never had one, right?"

Jace glanced back to Luke, his eyebrows coming down heavily as he caught sight of the werewolf standing frozen in the doorway. His hands were braced on the doorframe, his fingers going white from the tight grip he had on the wood. The odd look of fascinated horror on his face confused Jace who glanced at himself, then at Clary, then back to himself. They were both fully clothed, nothing was out of place-well, more than the normal mess-and Clary was asleep, so there was no chance of her overhearing them.

"Uh-what?"

"You-she...you-uh-" He gulped, his eyes wide and unblinking as he took in the sight of his daughter's boyfriend kneeling next to the bed.

Jace stood, coming to stand beside him as he rested a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Seriously, are you okay?"

"She's not waking up."

Jace blinked. "Yeah, no. She's a heavy sleeper. She never wakes up."

Luke's mouth fell open, a sharp exhale escaping as his eyebrows rose. "That's not-no, she's really _really_ not a heavy sleeper."

Now Jace crossed his arms over his chest, his lips pursed as he glanced back toward the bed. "I'm confused. What?"

Luke sighed, his hand dragging through his messy dark hair again. "Just-watch."

He stepped carefully into the room, treading as lightly as possible for a nearly 200 lbs werewolf. On his third step, his foot nudged a comic book strewn across a pile of colored pencils and Clary bolted upright in bed, her head whipping around, a dagger clenched in her fist.

Jace gasped, darting to her side.

"Jace?" Her eyes blinked as she shook her head slightly. She glanced around sleepily. "Luke?"

"It's fine, Clare-Bear. Go back to sleep." Clary nodded blearily, sinking back into the mattress as Jace pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She smiled slightly as her hand came up to stroke his mane of golden hair as he tugged the dagger out of her other hand gently.

Luke backed up slowly, retreating to the hallway as Jace sat on the bed, stroking her hair back from her forehead for a few minutes until he was positive she was completely out.

Then he crept quietly to the door, pulling it shut behind him as he faced her father.

"See?"

"But, why?" Jace motioned down to the kitchen, his socks slipping slightly on the hardwood floors.

Luke's boot clomped heavily as he followed, his hands in his pockets.

"I trained her to always be aware. She can tell you the story about the whys. But she's always seemed to sleep with one eye open. I could barely move at night without waking her up."

"But, why? Why can I be around her? Why can I make as much noise as humanly possible and she stays asleep?"

Luke grinned toothily, his eyes sparkling handsomely. "Isn't it obvious?"

"I'm really sick of people saying that. Would I have asked if I understood?"

Luke hands landed heavily on his shoulders, stopping him on his way to the fridge. "She trusts you. It's as simple as that. She feels safe around you."

Jace blinked in surprise, his mouth twisting into a small smile as he contemplated Luke's words. He pulled away gently, rubbing a hand over his mouth as he yanked the fridge open.

"So." He said, pulling a bottle of water out, tossing one over his shoulder to Luke as well. "What are we doing for her birthday?"

x . x . x . x . x

"Jace, that really wasn't necessary." Clary giggled as she rubbed her stomach. The to go box was clutched tightly in her hand as her other twined with her boyfriend's.

"Of course it was. It's not everyday your girlfriend turns 21." He smiled brightly down at her, smirking at her incredibly wild hair. The wind certainly wasn't helping with that.

"And you were just clamoring to get me out of the Institute." He shrugged unapologetically, his eyes glancing furtively around. "Hey. Chill. This was great. We're perfectly safe. Alec and Izzy are the best, right?"

Her eyebrows wiggled as Jace blanched. He smiled sheepishly once he'd recovered, ducking his head to hide in her hair. His arms came around her waist and he lifted her slightly in a hug.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It gave you peace of mind, right?" He nodded. "Then I don't mind."

They continued their trek through the cool autumn wind as they wound their way back home, sticking resolutely to the main roadways and avoiding all alleys. They didn't want to present Valentine with any chances to get to them.

They laughed as they walked, their arms winding around each other's waist, Jace's fingers tickling lightly at her side. Clary shrieked, darting away, glancing happily over her shoulder as Jace ran after her.

They played all the way home, stumbling into the sanctuary wrapped up in each other. Getting impatient, Jace scooped up her tiny body, her legs coming up to wrap around his waist as he tripped down the aisle. Her fingers wound into his blond hair, twisting the strands gently as her mouth descended on his neck, nibbling and tonguing at the sensitive skin there. He moaned low in his throat, his hands gripping her hips tightly as he leaned toward the elevator call, pressing blindly with his elbow.

The duo stumbled back into the elevator, the door sliding shut behind them as Jace pressed her against the back wall. His hips ground against hers, his mouth crushing hers in a bruising kiss, his tongue darting out to lick at the seam of her lips. The to go box dropped noisily on the floor as it slipped out of her hand, probably spilling pasta everywhere, but neither cared enough to look.

She sighed, opening gladly as their tongues tangled, her nails raking down his back.

"God Clary!" Jace yanked back, panting to catch his breath, his head thrown back in bliss as Clary's lips traveled down his jaw, nibbling lightly at the stubble just showing.

"Jace-god! Ah, right there!" Her head bounced against the back of the metal car, her eyes squeezing shut as Jace's hips twisted against hers in a delicious way.

The elevator ground to a stop as Jace captured her lips again with his own, spinning them as the door creaked open-

"SURPRI-AHHHHH!"

His hands went slack and Clary's legs slipped down his body as their lips tore apart, her eyes wide as she caught sight of the assembled group in the hallway-apparently waiting for them.

Her face flushed scarlet as she ducked behind Jace. "Did you do this?!"

Jace glanced over his shoulder, a smirk settled solidly on his gorgeous face. "Well, I may have forgotten it when you attacked me downstairs. Sorry."

Luke groaned, his hands clapping over his ears as Alec, Isabelle and Magnus laughed hysterically. Jocelyn glared at Jace who glared right back, not willing to let her ruin Clary's night. Robert and Maryse seemed entirely unsurprised and didn't seem to care, though Max's eyes were covered gently by Maryse's hand. Robert smirked at his adopted son, stepping forward to pull Clary from behind him.

"Happy birthday girlie!"

Clary grinned, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck as he lifted her off her feet.

Maryse stepped forward, folding her into a hug as Robert set her down. "Come on, we've got the party set up in the library."

Max darted forward to grab Clary's hand, tugging her with all his weight. She stumbled after him, laughing as she glanced over her shoulder to Jace, who's smile threatened to crack his face. Robert slapped him on the shoulder as they began following, leading the rest of the group down the hall.

x . x . x . x . x

Clary's arms wound their way around Jace's waist from behind, her fingers linking across his stomach as her head rested against his back. He continued his conversation with Alec and Luke as he pulled her around, wrapping his arms around her waist as she rested against his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and she sighed happily.

"Hey Clary?"

She pulled back, glancing down at Max's bright face as Luke ruffled his hair.

"Here. Izzy said you needed a drink." He held up a glass, heavily decorated with glitter pen spelling 'Birthday Girl' and Clary giggled.

"Of course she did. Thanks dude." She bent slightly to pressed a kiss to his head and he beamed, dashing off as his glasses slid even further down his nose.

Clary held the glass out, smirking as she took in every glitter coated inch.

Alec snorted. "Maybe Magnus helped her."

Luke and Jace chuckled as Clary raised the glass to her lips, sipping the cool liquid inside. Her eyebrows came down as the taste washed over her tongue.

"Damn, that's good!" She slurped noisily as she drained the glass, much to Jace's amusement.

Luke reached forward, tugging her into a hug, whispering quietly into her ear as the two younger men moved a few feet away.

A moment later, Clary returned to Jace's arms, snuggling back into his chest with a contented purr.

"Come, lover. It's time for us to...abed."

Alec snorted at Magnus' dramatic and badly accented entrance. "I don't think that's how it goes. Shakespeare's rolling in his grave."

Clary snorted. "Oh Billy Boy's probably safe. Didn't you say something about meeting him once?"

Magnus waggled his eyebrows as he gripped Alec's hand tightly as he towed him toward the door. "Yup I did. And now we're going to reenact Romeo and Julius."

Jace groaned, dropping his forehead to Clary's shoulder as she giggled again. "Didn't need to know, Magnus!"

Isabelle chuckled as she clicked after her brother, waving shortly over her shoulder. Clary glanced behind her, her neck craning to see her boyfriend's face.

"Bed?" He waggled his eyebrows at her words and she snorted.

"I think that's the best idea you've had in ages, _darling_!"

With a quick glance around the library and seeing nobody paying them any attention, except for Jocelyn who'd been glaring at them the entire night, he dragged her quickly out of the library and down the hall to his room.

He pushed her against the door, his lips descending on hers once again. They ground against each other as his hand scrabbled for the door knob, pushing the door inward as he supported her ass with his other hand.

They tumbled into the darkness, Jace directing them to where he knew the bed was. He landed on top of her, cushioning her head with his hand as his lips once again found hers.

They tossed and turned on the bed, the covers tangling around their legs as her hands frantically pulled at his shirt. He smirked against her lips as he tore the thing off, scattering buttons to all corners of the room. Her hands traveled his smooth chest, her fingers tracing intricate patterns on his skin between the dark runes.

His fingers inched her dress up her thighs and she lifted her ass, helping him along. The soft cotton slid easily against her skin as he gently worked it up her body, his eyes glowing as they took in more of her supple skin.

The black lace covering her made him groan as his hands skimmed down her sides, his lips attacking her collarbone. She gasped in a shaky breath, her hands running through his hair as his tongue laved at her, moving lower and lower with every pass.

But then her hands were tugging, not caressing. She was panting, but in a heavy way that immediately broke through the haze of lust clouding his vision.

And as his tawny eyes raised to her wide emerald ones, his heart froze in his chest, terror gripping him as he saw the blue tinge creeping across her skin.

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><p><strong>Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnn...sorry, but yeah I'm not. Leave a commentquestion/suggestion/review/whatever if ya like. They make my day...seriously. If I don't reply it's because I'm currently coughing so hard I'm giving myself a nose bleed-true story. It's slightly ridiculous. So yeah, thanks for reading lovelies! You make me smile!**


	10. Do We Trust Him?

**So, apologies because I apparently gave some people heart attacks and/or crying fits. This chapter I rushed to finish yesterday especially for the lovely from Ravenclaw, who I made sad with my evil cliffy. :) Jace is pretty OOC (as far as I know, remember I never finished the books) but it's necessary. I know I keep saying it, but I had a huge brainstorm yesterday and it'll definitely pick up in the next few chapters. Just enjoy the..."calm" before the storm. *evil laugh***

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Don't sue.**

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><p>"Clary?! CLARY!"<p>

Jace sprung backward, lunging toward the nightstand to flick on the lamp. And almost wished he hadn't.

Clary was sprawled across his bed in nothing but black lace underwear, which should have been the epitome of sexy. But instead, her lips were tinged a sickly blue color, her limbs splayed out awkwardly as she twitched.

Without thought for his topless state or her distinct lack of attire, he swung her up in his arms as he darted toward the door.

"MAGNUS!" His voice echoed through the hallway as he cursed himself for picking a bedroom away from the others. Clary's head flopped backward, a sickening bounce that make Jace's stomach roil and pitch in fear. Isabelle's head poked out of her room as Jace ran past, her eyebrows furrowing as she moved to follow, wrapping a robe securely around her.

Luke emerged from the hallway leading to the kitchen, the bowl of whatever he was eating splashing noisily to the wood floors as Jace streaked past, Clary's hair streaming behind him.

With Isabelle and Luke pounding behind him, Jace chanced a quick look down at his girlfriend-and wished to the Angel that he hadn't. Her eyes were mostly closed, though the lids fluttered, showing only white underneath. Her lips were now solidly blue and he noticed a series of raised bumps appearing down her throat and onto her chest.

He skidded to a halt, the door to Alec's room already flung open as Magnus stuck his head out. "What's with all the noi-Clary?!"

Jace shoved past him, ignoring Alec's yelp of protestation as he nearly shoved him off the bed. "Magnus, help her! Please! She can't breathe and-"

Jace's plaintive explanation halted as a sharp sob escaped his lips and Magnus sprung into action. "Get him out of here. Now."

Luke grabbed onto Jace's arm, thankful when Isabelle grabbed his other as he began to fight.

Magnus' hands ran softly over Clary's body, his eyes shooting wide as he barked an order to Alec. To his credit, the dark haired boy sprung into action immediately, giving his sister a quick look as she dragged his best friend out of the room.

x . x . x . x . x

Jace's hair was sticking up in odd tufts as he paced outside Alec's room.

Isabelle leaned against the wall, nibbling at her manicure, while Luke crouched with his head in his hands.

"Someone should tell Mom and Dad." Isabelle's voice was lifeless-flat. Jace hadn't realized how much she actually cared about Clary, but he could see the worried tension coursing through her. Sighing, he wrapped his adopted sister in his arms, his cheek pressing lightly against her hair.

"Can you do it please? I can't-I can't leave here." His voice was nothing but a whisper, but Isabelle nodded her assent, quickly squeezing her arms around him before turning and shuffling down the hall.

"What happened?" Though his head was in his hands and his voice muffled, Jace cringed at the slight accusatory tone in Luke's words.

"I have no idea. We were just-we left the party...and we were-" Jace glanced up quickly, averting his eyes a moment later. "-celebrating in my room. But then she just-by the Angel, I don't know!"

He collapsed into himself, his arms wrapping around his bare torso as a sob ripped it's way out of his throat. Luke's eyes widened as he shot to his feet, pulling the boy into his arms in a tight hug.

"She'll be fine. She's a fighter. I promise you, she'll be fine."

Jace sucked in a shaky breath, trying to stem the flow of tears his traitorous eyes insisted on releasing. He never cried. Never. It had been drilled into him from a young age that crying was showing weakness-something he was never allowed to do. But this he couldn't deal with. He'd just found her. His fingers tightened in the loose cotton shirt Luke wore as his body was wracked with tremors. She was everything-everything he never knew he wanted and absolutely everything he needed. And it was unfathomable to think he might-Jace choked as he cut that thought off, refusing to even contemplate the possibility.

"Shhhhh. It's fine, son. It's fine. She'll be fine." A tear squeezed it's way out of the werewolf's eye as he tried to reassure Jace. Not only him, but he was most definitely trying to reassure himself. Clary had been in some tight spots-some extremely uncomfortable and downright dangerous situations. She'd been beaten to a bloody pulp more times than he could count and the venom whenever she got bit always did a number on her. But he'd never seen her so...lifeless before.

A sharp piercing wail broke through the door and both men's heads whipped up, Luke blinking rapidly as the ends of Jace's hair stung his cheek. And he tightened his arms around the boy, his instincts prickling as Jace's muscles coiled, ready to spring at the door.

"Let Magnus work. You trust Alec, right?" Jace paused, nodding infinitesimally as Luke gripped his arms even tighter. He forced the blond's eyes back to his, staring into those tawny depths. "Then trust that they will save her." With a low sigh, Jace nodded again, pulling himself out of Luke's arms, wringing his hands as he began pacing.

"What the hell is going on?!" Jocelyn stomped down the hall and Luke exhaled heavily at the whiny cadence of her voice.

"It's Clary. She-"

With a huff, she tossed her hands in the air before crossing them over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently. "What Luke, what? What did Clary do now?"

"I don't-"

Jocelyn's eyes swung to Jace as they narrowed. Her eyes were emerald, the exact same shade as Clary's and yet they sent a chill down his spine. "This is all your fault! What did you do to her this time? If it's not turning her against me or leading her right into the clutches of a stark raving madman it's-"

"Poison." Jace and Luke both whipped their heads toward the door, which no one had noticed was wide open. Magnus stood in the doorway, backlit and seeming to shimmer with the anger seething out of his very pores. "Someone poisoned her. I don't know how and I don't know when. I haven't been able to identify it yet, which makes pinning down when it happened difficult. But she's stable now. I have no idea when she'll wake up though."

The warlock's oddly cat-like eyes sought out Luke's, a silent plea in them and Luke knew there was more he wasn't being told. "Here, go to her. I'll deal with this."

His scathing words did nothing but make Jocelyn scoff, but Jace nodded and ducked around his best friend's boyfriend, disappearing into their room.

"Why are you here Ms. Morgenstern? Obviously it's not out of concern for Clary." Magnus questioned, standing beside Luke as Clary's mother huffed in annoyance.

"The little tart probably poisoned herself. God knows she didn't want to be stu-" A sharp choking noise stuck in her throat at Luke's hand circled her neck, pinning her against the wall violently. Her hands pried at his fingers, her nails scratching deep gouges into his wrists and forearms as she fought to get free.

"Do not ever say something so despicable again, do you understand me?" The low growl slithered through the air, crushing any remaining breath out of her lungs as she saw the animal inside him fight to break out. "You have done nothing but throw her away her entire life. And I'm done. Find somewhere else to stay or we will. I will not have you tormenting her or that poor boy for another second. Do you understand me?"

Jocelyn's eyes were wide, bugging slightly out of her head as she tried to gasp for breath. A choked whimper managed to sneak past her lips and she nodded vigorously, heaving in great deep breaths of air as he dropped her unceremoniously to her knees.

x . x . x . x . x

Three days. It had been three days and Jace was going out of his mind with worry. He hadn't eaten, he'd barely slept and he hadn't showered, much to Isabelle's chagrin.

"Jace, this isn't what she'd want."

"I don't care. I'm not leaving her side until she's awake."

Alec sighed, rolling his eyes toward Magnus pleadingly.

"What? If that was you, I wouldn't be moving either." Alec huffed at his boyfriend, clearly disgruntled that he wasn't siding with him.

"Why are you guys here?"

Jace turned his eyes tiredly toward the trio, his hand still resting in Clary's limp one, his other stroking her hair slowly.

"I think I found...well something. It's not like anything I've ever seen before. But it looks like common antifreeze laced with...demon blood or venom. There wasn't enough left to test for sure, but that's the smell I got off of it."

Jace's eyebrows came down hard and he blinked his eyes tiredly. "Wait, what? Where was it?"

"That glass. The glitter one? I never gave that to Max. And it wasn't IN the glass...it was rubbed along the rim. That's why it didn't have an immediate effect." Isabelle twisted her hands together nervously. "I'm sorry Jace. I really really never gave it to Max. I just-I don't…"

"Hey, Iz. It's alright. I believe you. Although that leads me to the disturbing conclusion that someone else in this house has it out for us, but still-I believe you."

She breathed a sigh of relief, rounding the bed to sit on Clary's other side. She gently picked up her hand, rubbing her thumb along the inside of Clary's wrist as she thought.

"This is scary."

Magnus conjured a chair, seating himself primly as Alec stood sentry behind him, rubbing the warlock's shoulders lightly.

Jace glanced furtively around, debating what he wanted to do as he looked at the people closest to him. Making his decision, which had actually turned out to be incredibly easy as he saw the worry etched into all their faces, he took a deep breath to gather his thoughts.

"Alec, draw a privacy rune on the door." The dark haired boy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Please. I'll explain then."

Tugging his stele out of his boot, Alec obeyed the command before returning to Magnus' side.

"What's this about? What's the big secret?"

Jace narrowed his eyes at Magnus momentarily, ignoring the siblings as he questioned him. "You knew about Clary all along, right?" The warlock nodded stoically. "You've helped Jocelyn and Luke deceive, not only the Clave but the entire Shadowhunter world. You knew Valentine was alive." Again, Magnus nodded slowly. "Now, you need to be completely honest with me right now, otherwise I'm going to throw you out on your ass so hard your grandchildren will feel it."

"Bitch, please. Like we'd be able to procreate? Not without a miracle, hunny." Magnus waved a hand at the exasperated huff from behind him. "But you do realize that everything I did was only for Clary. I can't stand Jocelyn. Luke's cool, but it took awhile for us to warm up to each other."

"Why didn't you tell us about Clary's brother?"

Magnus furrowed his brows. "We did tell you. The first day you met Clary. Luke went over that shit the Clave always shoved down your throats and then we told you the truth."

"But not the whole truth, huh? Why didn't you tell us Jonathan was alive?!"

Magnus jumped to his feet, his eyes wide and panicked as he stared at Jace's narrowed amber eyes. "Excuse me! He is NOT alive! I was the one that pulled the bones out of the house!"

Jace scoffed. "Well, that's funny since he showed up at Taki's a few weeks ago, cornering us and scaring the ever loving shit out of me!"

His raised voice drove Magnus back into his seat, his face white a ghost. "No. No, it's not possible." His fingers, glittering with sparkly polish and multiple rings, wiped down his face. His cat eyes were wide with some emotion Jace had trouble identifying. But then they whipped up, a burning determination shining out of them as Magnus stood, striding quickly over and dropping to his knees in front of the Shadowhunter.

"I swear-by the Angel, I had no idea. I tried-I tried to protect him." His eyeliner ran in small rivulets as the tears spilled over, coating his cheeks. He didn't move to wipe them away, trying to appeal to Jace in any way he knew how. His eyes never wavered, not even as those amber eyes bored into him, stripping away every defense he had ever constructed.

After a tense moment, Jace nodded slowly. "Alright. Fine." His head shook tiredly as he glanced once more at Clary. "That still begs the question then-where did he go? And can we trust him to help us or is he working with Valentine?"

"Walk us through it, Jace. Walk us through it. What exactly happened?" Isabelle prodded, still running her fingers lightly over Clary's arm.

Without preamble, Jace pulled Magnus to his feet as he began telling the trio about their rendezvous with Clary's brother. Alec's eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline while Magnus' dropped down low, a glower distorting his handsome face.

"It doesn't make any sense. Only those in the Circle knew about the Uprising. And only Jocelyn, Luke and me knew about the...counter-Uprising, I guess. Valentine barely had enough left in him to fake his death and escape. Jocelyn and Luke were devastated when I found the boy's bones…fuck!"

Alec wrapped his arms around his boyfriend as the warlock's shoulder shook-whether from rage or sadness Jace couldn't really tell. But one thing still remained to be asked.

"Well, obviously Clary can't stay here. We have no idea who the traitor is and I'm not willing to risk her life like that. Either way I'm taking her away. But-he claims all he wants to do is protect her. So, I guess the real question is, do we trust him?"

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><p><strong>Again, a huge thank you to everyone who reads and reviews and follows and favorites...it seriously makes my day. I'm telling you-ask my husband...I literally squeal everytime I see a new email. It's slightly ridiculous. But leave a commentsuggestion/review/question/rant/etc if ya like. And again, thanks for reading. Since it's not tooooooo much of a cliffy I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but I will tell you I haven't started it yet. :/ But it's my weekend so... :)**


	11. Stolen Away

**Still fairly slow. Sorry, not sorry. I had a brain fart over a pretty big plot point and needed to organize my thoughts. Plus I royally fucked my shoulder and was having a hard time typing, hence the long time since my last update. A huge thank you to everyone who reviews/favs/follows...it really makes my day to get those messages. Plus some of you literally have my rolling with laughter...sorry I cause heart palpitations and heavy breathing. :) **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing. Don't sue. I'm just playing.**

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><p>"Whose place is this again?"<p>

Magnus rolled his eyes and sighed for the umpteenth time since they'd snuck out of the Institute. Jace carried Clary as Isabelle walked alongside with a dagger brandished, not that mundanes could see them, while Magnus and Alec strolled casually along. The warlock narrowed his eyes at a passing cop who eyed the couple a little too closely, sticking his tongue out at his back once he'd passed.

"Real mature, man. Now-where are you leading us?" Jace's words had a bite that Alec had never heard. He hated to admit it, but Clary really had been good for Jace-once Alec got passed his initial hatred of the girl.

"A friend of mine. That's all you need to know. She's away on...business and said I could crash at her place. She doesn't know anything about any of you, so there shouldn't be any trail to you. Don't worry." His gaze softened as he glanced over his shoulder. "Trust me, Goldilocks. I love Clary too."

Isabelle gigglesnorted as Jace nearly tripped over nothing. "I-**what?!** I don't-guh...just-**what?!**"

Alec and Magnus shared _a look_ as Jace sputtered behind them. "All in due time, duckling. No worries."

Jace scowled at the warlock's back as he chuckled. Magnus yanked his phone out of his pocket, squinting at the screen through the dim twilight. "Uh...it's...ah!"

The group stopped, their eyes going wide as they looked up toward the building in front of them. Pulling a gaping Alec behind him, Magnus sauntered through the revolving door. Jace shouldered his way through, careful not to catch any part of his girlfriend in the doors.

They made their way to the elevator as Isabelle muttered under her breath about the gaudy decor while Jace rolled his eyes. Alec snorted at a particularly vulgar comment about gold leafing and Magnus wrapped an arm around his shoulder, much to the distaste of an older couple also waiting for the elevator. Alec shot them an apologetic smile as Magnus towed him onto the first car to arrive.

The went up. And up and up and up. "Magnus? What floor does your friend live on?"

"Penthouse." He grinned irritatingly as Jace raised an eyebrow, cuddling Clary closer to his chest. "She's...well, she's fancy."

Alec rolled his eyes as the elevator dinged, swishing open to reveal an ornate hallway leading to a heavy mahogany door with a gorgeous forest carved in gentle relief. They followed Magnus like ducklings as he released Alec's hand to dig into the pocket of his painted on jeans. Pulling out a heavy, ornate silver key he smirked as he inserted it into the lock, clicking it to the right.

"And, welcome-to paradise!"

The door opened with an audible swoosh sound and even Alec's breath caught in his throat. The apartment-if it could even be called a mere apartment-was spectacular. Clean lines flowed throughout the open floor plan, the colors muted but brilliant in the fading twilight shining through the floor to ceiling windows. Jace's jaw dropped at the massive television taking up most of the opposite wall, salivating at the possibilities. Isabelle wandered aimlessly, yelping when she came across the kitchen that even Wolfgang Puck would have cried over. Not only were the appliances top of the line and fit for a gourmet chef, but there were so many! Two stoves plus a double wall oven, a beautiful professional quality stand mixer-even a deep fryer. She ducked her head into a doorway on the right, her eyebrow raising as she caught sight of one washer, but two dryers.

"She hates to wait. The dryer took too long-so she bought two. Now there's always one available whenever the washer's done." Magnus' voice echoed around the tiled room behind before he let out a soft snort. Isabelle pulled back, her arms trailing uselessly by her side as she gaped around once again. "Not that she'd deign to actually USE a washer or anything. But the principle remains apparently."

He wrapped an arm around the younger girl, chuckling as he led her out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the room she'd be staying in.

Jace, meanwhile, had immediately staked his claim on the largest room at the furthest end of the hallway. The light bleeding through the nearly translucent curtains seemed to set Clary's hair ablaze as he laid her gently on what felt like a down comforter.

She shifted slightly before settling into whatever had trapped her inside her own mind. Jace sighed, raking his hand down his face. He needed her. He needed her to wake up, to help him make decisions, to help him figure everything out. Somehow in the past few months, she'd become indispensable to him.

He had no energy to deal with the others. They still had decisions to make, parents to fend off when it was discovered they were gone, and Jace had to actually be the one to contact Jonathan-and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. With a graceless flop, he landed on the bed next to Clary, her small body bouncing slightly as he settled in beside her. Her warmth crept through the thin cotton of his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her loosely, his tawny eyes never leaving her face as he brushed his fingertips lightly over her ruby lips.

With a silent plea on his lips, he pressed them softly to hers before settling in for a short rest. After all, they had way too much to do and way too little time to do it.

x . x . x . x . x

Jace sighed as her lips trailed a blaze of fire down his chest, her hair tickling his sides as she descended. A sharp cry left his lips as her teeth grazed his exposed hipbone, his hands tangling in her fiery locks. Her fingers trailed lazily from his ankle to his knee, continuing up until they grazed his inner thigh teasingly. His head shot back into the fluffy pillows, his eyes squeezing shut as pleasure coursed through him.

His eyes shot open, his breathing curiously heavy as the sunlight streamed in through the sheer curtains. And he reared back as a pair of warm emerald eyes stared right back at him.

"JACE!"

Her voice was a welcome relief despite the fact that his tailbone was more than likely bruised as he tumbled off the bed. The fact that she scrambled lithely after him, her head peeking over the side of the tall bed, made his heart flutter.

"Clary!" He popped to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain in his back as he leapt beside her.

She giggled as she bounced into the air, reaching her hands out for him like a toddler. His lips descended on hers, claiming them in a heated kiss that made her moan, the sound caught low in her throat. She giggled again as his lips traveled away, grazing over her eyelids, her cheeks, her jaw, her neck, down to her collarbone-finding any available patch of skin he could. After a few moments of exploration, he sighed as he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closing as the emotions welled up in his chest, threatening to choke him.

"I thought-you…" He choked back a sob. "Could you please stop trying to die on me?! It's very disconcerting!"

She broke into peals of laughter, drawing a smile out of him at the musical sound. "Yes, baby. I will do my best to stop trying to die."

"It's not funny Clary!" His affronted tone just made her laugh harder and he growled lowly as he tried to fight back a smirk.

"No. It's not. I'm sorry." She quieted slowly, her eyes searching his face as her hand came up to caress his cheek. Her fingers trailed over the light stubble he hadn't had the energy to deal with. "Um….can I ask a question?"

Jace nodded, his nose running up the side of her cheek gently as his hands trailed up and down her body from his position beside her, assuring himself that she was alright and awake.

"Where are we?"

x . x . x . x . x

"Clary! Oh my god, where are you?! Are you okay? Are you awake-wait, duh! Shit!"

Clary giggled as she held the phone an inch away from her ear due to the volume of Luke's voice. Jace raised an eyebrow from beside her.

"Yes Luke, I'm awake. And apparently I'm fine. Little stiff from barely moving for...how many days?"

"Four." Jace supplied helpfully, laying his head on her crossed legs and staring at her upside down.

"Yeah, four days will do that. And I'm **starving**!"

Luke chuckled. "I take it Jace spirited you away, huh?"

Jace made a face and Clary rolled her eyes. "Yeah. We don't know who poisoned me and he didn't want to stay and take the chance."

"Good." A loud breath whooshed out of him as he debated what to say next. "He's a good guy, Clare-Bear. I definitely approve."

"I'm glad. Cause I kinda like him-ya know-just a little." She smirked as Jace gave her the evil eye. His fingers twitched, drawing her undivided attention in an instant. "No, Jace-don't you dare!"

Luke chuckled again as he heard a scuffle and peals of girlish laughter, followed by a thump and a low rumbling laugh. "Sorry Luke. Clary's a bit indisposed at the moment." The laughter got louder, shrieks intermingling with the sound though what she was shouting was indistinct to his ears. "And sorry I didn't tell you first. I was a little anxious."

"You did the right thing, son. Listen, don't tell me anything else-I don't want to know. You keep her safe, stock up on disposable cells and get rid of them immediately. You hear me? You _keep her safe_! That's all I fucking care about."

The laughter died away slowly, a small sniff sounding out through the receiver. "You put me on speaker, didn't you Brat?"

Luke grinned as he heard another sniff. "You have to say something Clary. He can't see you nodding."

The werewolf let out a loud guffaw at Jace's words, his head shaking as he pinched the bridge of his nose good naturedly. "Hey Clare-Bear? I love you-you hear me. You have good instincts, a good man by your side and good friends as well. You guys work on things from your side and I'll do what I can here." He paused, bracing himself for the inevitable end of the conversation. "I love you Clary. I'll talk to you soon, alright?"

Another sniffle traveled through the phone. "We'll call in-"

"Three days!"

"Hear Jace? Three days." Clary took a deep breath, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried to contain the tears threatening to break free. "I love you...Dad."

Luke choked in surprise. She'd never called him 'Dad', though they'd always felt like father and daughter. "I love you too." Now he had to fight back a sniff, swallowing convulsively as he kept it together. "Be safe-keep each other safe. And I'll talk to you soon."

A soft click sounded and Jace gently pried the cell phone from Clary's grip, pulling her into his arms as she dissolved into sobs.

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><p><strong>:( Poor Clary can't catch a break, huh? Until next time lovelies! <strong>


	12. Last House on the Left

**Apparently I may be torturing you with this chapter...Mr. Kelpie's exact words were "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT?!" And some choice expletives after that. Ooops. But I'm working on 13, so you'll have...some answers soon. *evil grin***

**Disclaimer: own nothing. :)))**

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><p>"Are you sure this is a good idea, love?"<p>

Clary rolled her eyes at her boyfriend as she strapped another dagger to her thigh. "Do you have a better idea? We need answers and this is the best lead we have. Unless you'd like to go back to the Institute..."

Alec snorted as Jace's face drained of color. "I think that's a no. Where are we meeting him again?"

Clary faced her boyfriend's parabatai, eyeing him warily. She hadn't quite gotten used to him treating her as more than gum stuck on his shoe.

"An apartment Luke owns upstate. It's big enough that I can open a portal right into the living room. He's going to track that portal and follow, that way there's no way to ambush us without giving us a massive warning."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow, her hands on her hips. "I still don't understand this whole 'creator' thing. Are you sure it's safe?"

Clary nodded, glancing to Magnus for confirmation. "She's very powerful. I trust her with my life-and I trust her with yours." He nodded to Alec, squeezing his hand lightly. "If that's not a glowing endorsement then I don't know what is."

Jace chuckled as he pulled Clary into his arms, his chin resting against the top of her head. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves for what they were about to embark on. This would make or break them-either they'd get the answers they needed or they'd end up dead. One of those outcomes was just not going to work for him.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Clary nodded, stepping out of his arms as she pulled her stele out of her pocket. She raised it up above her head, tracing a complicated pattern of lines into the air. An odd shimmer started, radiating outward as a gust of wind burst around them, ruffling the sheer curtains.

"Come on. It's now or never."

Clary grabbed Jace's hand, yanking him into the swirling vortex she'd created, glancing over her shoulder as the trio following them. She was buffeted from side to side as they traveled through nothingness, bracing her feet at the last second. She smirked as the Shadowhunters thudded against the ground, giggling as Jace scowled up at her. Magnus shook his disorientation away as he leaned heavily against a nearby wall. He would definitely never get used to traveling that way.

"Come on guys. Brace yourselves. He's coming."

Jace jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms around the small girl in front of him. His hands itched to grab a weapon as the rune over his heart pulsed with a nervousness he himself wasn't feeling. His lips found their way to her hair, his nose nuzzling her gently as she fidgeted in his arms.

The bare wall in front of them distorted, twisting in on itself as a portal opened. A lithe figure stepped through, shaking his head minutely as he regained his footing on the hardwood floor.

Clary watched the portal warily, waiting for any uninvited guests to spring through. Much to her surprise, the portal snapped shut immediately.

Alec cleared his throat, gesturing toward the homey living space Luke had set up years ago. "Why don't we sit?"

Jonathan nodded, inclining his head toward Clary and Jace as he walked ahead, clearly noting how uncomfortable the other Shadowhunters were around him. He settled into a plush chair, leaving the longer seats for the others.

"May I ask what prompted you to call me? Last I heard you were quite….vehemently against accepting my help."

Clary smirked as she glanced to Jace. His lips were pursed and he was glaring daggers at her brother, his hands gripping her own tightly. "We had an...incident. Basically I was poisoned and-"

"WHAT?! By who?! When? What the hell, you said you were keeping her safe!"

Jonathan had jumped to his feet, his eyes glittering manically as his hands fisted in his dark hair. He glared at Jace as he spat accusations, clearly unnerved.

"Whoah, whoah. It was unfortunate, but it was in no way Jace's fault." Clary stood slowly, her hand still gripped tightly in her boyfriends. Her other hand reached forward tentatively, running down her brother's arm gently. "Just-chill. Alright?" She glanced around and sighed. "Seriously? Put the weapons away!"

Jace glanced at his parabatai, smirking as he realized both he and Isabelle had drawn as many weapons as they could wield. They'd been steadily creeping forward until Clary had called them off.

"Sit down. Now. Before you have an unfortunate accident and end up as a toad." Magnus threatened calmly from his seat, a strange protectiveness shining out of his eyes.

"So, what can you offer us then? If you're so concerned about Clary, then help us." Jace appealed as Jonathan sunk back down, his hand running down his face tiredly.

"I have a safe house. It's actually...well-I grew up with mundanes. They took me in. No one in our world knows I exist either. You'll be safe there." Jonathan grinned slightly. "And Simon has been clamoring to meet you cause I-uh...kinda won't shut up about you."

Clary smiled, a genuine one, and Jonathan's heart stuttered in his chest. He was absolutely ecstatic to get this chance with his sister. He'd grown up the same way she had-hidden in plain sight, trained secretly-he knew the resentment and isolation that caused. He was lucky enough to have Simon. And she'd finally found Jace-something he'd prayed to the Angel for.

"Give us a few minutes. Please." Isabelle tacked on the pleasantry at Clary's withering glare, smirking as the red head rolled her eyes.

Jonathan nodded, standing slowly as he glanced around. "I'll be out on the porch. I like the cool weather."

Clary watched him go as Alec and Isabelle crowded around the couch she sat on with Jace and Magnus. They began speaking in low voices, though she couldn't concentrate on their words. All she saw was the fleeting look of absolute longing on her brother's face.

"We're going."

Her words effectively silenced the rest of them, all their eyes swinging to focus on her. She stared right back, one after the other, her face a mask of determination. Her emerald eyes met Jace's amber ones and he glanced between them, trying to pick out every nuance she'd let him. Slowly he nodded, a resigned sigh escaping his perfect mouth.

"Alright, we do this your way. But you stay vigilant, you hear me?" He pulled her onto his lap, his arms twining around her slim body. "I can't-I couldn't...if something happened-I just…"

"Shhhhh. It'll be fine. You'll see." Her lips pressed softly to his, Jace's eyes drifting closed in momentary bliss.

"Go get him. We might as well get this over with."

Alec grumbled as he stalked off to follow Jace's instructions, his hand still firmly gripping a dagger.

x . x . x . x . x

"I don't understand why we couldn't just-"

Jonathan tried to hide the smile as Isabelle continued to bitch about their walk. He'd drawn a portal, coming out roughly a mile from his house. And Isabelle was not a happy camper. Despite her stellar fighting skills, which he'd observed over the past month as he'd looked for Clary, she seemed to be astoundingly lazy.

Alec rolled his eyes as well, swinging his hand linked with Magnus' as they strolled down the suburban sidewalk. "So, where exactly is this place?"

"It's maybe-" Jonathan glanced around. "-another half mile. It's a nice neighborhood; big houses, big yards, ours backs onto the woods. Nice."

Clary bumped her shoulder to his and she dragged Jace forward. "This is...nice." Jonathan raised an eyebrow. Jace snorted as Clary threw her hands up in frustration. "Can absolutely **everyone **do that but me?!"

The group snickered and joked amongst each other as they walked, slowly getting comfortable with Clary's brother. Soon enough they found their way into a neighborhood where the houses were further spaced, large trees obscuring most of the home fronts.

"Last house on the left."

"You do know they made a horror film about that, don't you?" Jonathan smirked at Magnus, casually pulling a set of keys out of his pocket. He led them up the front path to the stairs, shoving the key unceremoniously into the lock. He twisted, cursing under his breath as the metal resisted. The tumblers finally caught, and he ushered them into a dim foyer. He shut the door behind them, shrouding the group in darkness as he groped for the light switch.

"Sorry. Simon's all into that eco stuff. He'd have my balls in a vice if I left the lights on." Jace snorted as the other two men winced, shuffling awkwardly in place.

A soft clinking sounded from the back of the house and Jonathan led the way, calling out into the darkness as he walked. "Simon, I thought you were at school! Didn't you have a cla-"

Jace's eyes shot wide as he took in the scene before him. Jonathan had frozen mid-sentence as he caught sight of the kitchen's occupant. There in front of the stove, wearing a frilly apron and an oven mitt, was Valentine.

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><p><strong>And cue outrage. Feel free to leave a rant or question or comment or...anything really. They make my day, even when y'all yell at me for being mean. :) Thanks lovelies!<strong>


	13. You Broke Them

**I left you on a cliffy last time so sorry for that. But the characters were being mutinous and silent this week, which is why this took so long. I'm not entirely happy with the chapter (Valentine threw a major wrench in my plot, but yeah...) so hopefully it's not horrible. I still own nothing.**

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><p>The flurry of motion that followed their stunning discovery seemed to last seconds and years all at once. Clary froze, eyes wide with terror while Jace sprung into action. Before she could blink, Valentine was flat on his back with Jace on his chest, the oven mitt a foot away as Jace's boot found a place on her father's wrist. Alec had Jonathan pinned to the wall with a hand on his neck while Isabelle and Magnus quickly moved through the rest of the house.<p>

"Clary, go out back and draw a portal. Go...home. We'll meet you there." Jace's voice was tight with tension, his rage barely restrained as he held Valentine by the throat, his dagger hand itching with the need to eliminate any threat to his girl.

"Wait!" Valentine's dark eyes widened, a hint of panic hidden in their depths. "Don't-please! Just hear us out!"

Jonathan huffed and rolled his eyes. "You said you weren't going to be here."

Alec tightened his grip, his dagger digging roughly into his cheek. "And here I thought you actually wanted to help."

Emerald eyes met azure ones as Jonathan glared steadily at the man. "I do. You can hear us out or you can kill us. But the only way you'll get real answers is to let us go."

Clary backed up slowly, her back pressing against the wall as she tried to comprehend what was happening. Jace's eyes flitted over to her, noticing the complete absence of emotion she displayed. His heart broke for her. This was the absolute last thing she needed-as if the last few months hadn't been enough.

"Isabelle?" He paused, waiting for his sister to appear by his shoulder. "Take _this_ and tie him to something. Secure him with the runes-everything you have. Hear me?"

She nodded, her hand taking Jace's place as he stood quickly. Magnus shuffled over to help Isabelle secure Valentine, who did nothing to fight back, placidly going along with whatever the Shadowhunters chose to do.

"Hey." Jace grazed his fingers gently over Clary's cheek, wincing when she didn't immediately register his touch. She blinked once, twice before her head tipped back to look at him. Her eyes were blank and Jace felt like he was drowning as he reached out to take her hand.

"Come on, love. Talk to me." His fingertips ran gently over her cheek as he saw a single tear well up. "Clary? You don't need to be here for this. Please? Let's get you home, alright?"

She ducked her head, throwing herself into his arms as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Jace wrapped his arms tightly around her, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pressed kisses to her forehead.

"Clarissa?" The plaintive plea echoed around them and she stiffened in his arms. Her eyes raised slowly, meeting Valentine's as Isabelle ushered him to the living room. "Please? Just hear me out."

His eyes, so loaded with hate the last time they'd encountered him, shone with unshed tears and Jace wrinkled his nose. He pressed Clary further into his chest, trying to shield her from any more hurt. She trembled in his arms, her fingers fisted in the soft cotton of his shirt as she fought to compose herself.

She reached a hand out, catching Magnus' jacket and pulling the trio to a stop. "Why? Why are you-why should I-just...why?"

Jonathan's voice broke through their connection and Clary whipped her eyes to her brother, her face twisted into a frown.

"Because we have answers. What's the worst that can happen, huh? You don't like what we say or you don't believe us-you kill us or leave us tied up while you escape. What's the harm in listening?"

Jace scowled as he felt the tension in Clary's body ratchet up to an impossible degree. Sometimes her bleeding heart was such a nuisance.

"Fine." Magnus huffed in annoyance as Clary spoke. "Just-make sure they can't get loose. And give me a few."

Jace nodded to the others as he took her hand, leading her down the hall and back to the porch. "Clary, why are you doing this? You don't owe them anything." His fingers brushed her cheeks softly and her eyes drifted shut. She nuzzled against his palm, inhaling the lemony smell of sunlight that always seemed to surround him.

"I don't, you're right. But I owe it to myself. My whole life has been done on everyone else's terms. And I'm sick of it."

Jace nodded, his eyes drifting around aimlessly. He knew she needed this-needed to take control of her own life. And he knew without a doubt that he'd do anything to help her.

"Alright." He sucked in a deep breath, the crisp air biting his lungs. "Let's go."

x . x . x . x . x

Valentine's eyes swept over Clary, widening with each pass. She fidgeted nervously as she sat on Jace's lap, his only condition for allowing her to stay. He wasn't letting her go for anything. Jace tightened his arms around her, his eyes narrowing with every pass Valentine made.

"Are you going to talk? Or continue your exceedingly creepy appraisal of my girlfriend...and your daughter."

His words made Valentine flinch and Jonathan sputtered comically as Isabelle finished etching a rune onto the back of his neck. "Was that necessary!? That's a visual I'll never get out of my head!"

Clary fought back a grin, wiping her expression after her momentary weakness. Her back straightened as she debated how to start.

"Okay. You're going to answer my questions. Anything I forget-or don't know-to ask, you'll explain after. Understand?"

The men nodded, their eyes glued to the small girl, their expressions filled with hope. Jace shifted nervously. There was something tugging at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place what it was and it was driving him insane.

Clary paused, her nose scrunching as she thought. Her brain had abruptly stopped firing-every single question she'd ever wanted to ask fleeing in a mad exodus.

"Uh-why did you come looking for me?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes, pursing his lips as he scowled at her. "I already told you. We're trying to keep you safe!"

"You also told me that there was a traitor among us-someone loyal to Valentine. Were you talking about yourself? Or was that a crock of shit?" Jace growled the question. His hand latched onto Clary's, their fingers tangled together to keep himself in check.

Valentine hung his head slightly. "There is a traitor. But no one loyal to me. This is...complicated."

Clary turned, her lovely green eyes catching Jace's amber ones. "Why do adults always dismiss things as being 'complicated'? It's very frustrating."

He chuckled as she stuck her lip out in a pout. "You're an adult, ya know. Twenty-one is considered an adult." His lips lightly met hers and she sighed into him.

Isabelle scoffed and Alec turned his head into Magnus' shoulder, clearing his throat softly. Clary's head whipped up, her eyes surveying the room spastically before they fell on her father. His eyes were soft, a small smile curling his lips up into an expression she'd never seen in any pictures of him.

"What?"

Valentine sighed again, the smile on his face making him seem so much younger than a few minutes before. "I've wanted to meet you ever since I found out about you. You're so very beautiful. And so very strong."

"Yeah-you should see her fight." Jonathan muttered, cringing away as Jace shot him a look.

"Okaaaaaaaayyyy. Well-that's...fun." Clary clapped her hands together. Jace could feel her tension ratcheting up and his hand moved slowly to cover the pommel of her dagger. "But tell us what we need to know."

Valentine sighed. "I'm afraid this story doesn't exactly paint me in the best light."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "It can't be any worse than what we've been told about you, so why don't you just start explaining before I get itchy and start slicing."

Jonathan grimaced, hopping his chair slightly further away from the girl. She glared at him and grabbed his T-shirt to yank him back.

"Before you were born-both of you-" He nodded toward Jonathan and Clary nodded. "-I was...quite rigid in my beliefs. I did believe that all Downworlders deserved to die. They're part demon after all. But it was nothing more than a general dislike-until I met your mother."

Clary's eyebrows furrowed, her lips pursing in thought. "But Jocelyn doesn't have a problem with Downworlders."

Valentine's dark eyes bugged, his jaw dropping nearly to his chest as he stared incredulously at Clary. "That's-**not** the Jocelyn I know then. She-well, she had her reasons. Not good reasons in my opinion, but reasons nonetheless. Before we met, she was-involved-with a man. She called him Gabriel. But they were out one night when he got drunk. He provoked a group of vampires." Isabelle cringed backward as Alec's eyes widened.

"Gabriel? What was his last name?"

"Uh-" The older man's eyes narrowed as he thought. "Lightwood. Gabriel Lightwood."

Alec's face blanched to the whitest Clary had ever seen. Magnus' yelp was the only warning they had before Alec's knees buckled. He crumpled lifelessly to the carpet, his limbs sprawled erratically at his sides. Jonathan dove to the side,his chair topping to its side, drawing Clary's eyes as Isabelle sank down on top of him. She was conscious, though staring with wide eyes at nothing as Jonathan laid underneath her.

Jace jumped up, holding Clary in his arms before placing her gently on her feet. He rushed toward Isabelle and lifted her carefully off of Clary's brother before setting her gently on the couch he'd just occupied. Clary stepped toward Magnus, who was cradling Alec in his lap like a child. She dropped to her knees, running her fingers through the Shadowhunter's messy hair.

She turned to stare at her father and brother, her expression wary though not angry. Her lip quirked up into a sardonic smile. "Well, meet Alec and Isabelle Lightwood. Congratulations, I think you broke them."

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><p><strong>Ahhhh! Mr. Kelpie is seriously ready to punch me with how many new questions I'm introducing. (It doesn't help that he's read even less of the books than me and is therefore kinda blind on some of this.) So yeah, leave a review or rant if ya like. They are the highlights of my exceedingly long days. Plus they're like pumpkin cheesecake cookies for my muse-that bitch is greedy and won't ever share.<strong>


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